Description: Shrub or small tree with irregularly domed crown; trunk divided and branched.

Height: 5-10 m

Diameter: 0.3-0.5 m

Leaves: Alternate, simple, elliptic-lanceolate, 5-10 cm or more, serrate; leaf stipules present.

Shoots: Yellow-green shoots. not glaucous bloomed and not easily snapping off.

Bark: Grey to brown; smooth, flaking off in large plates.

Flowers: Dioecious. Male catkins pedunculate, 3-5 cm, 3 stamens with yellow anthers; female similar; flowering period March-May at same time as leaves. Fruits glabrous capsules, scarcely pedunculate, in spikes.

Habitat: Common on river banks, ponds, marshes and fens.

Range: Throughout Europe except for the arctic, but only local in certain Mediterranean regions. Locally common in England, Channel Islands and S Ireland, rare in C & N Scotland..

Like other willows, often pollarded to produce osiers for wickerwork. The area of diffusion covers Europe and Almond Willow is probably native to Britain, but its true distribution has been lost through extensive planting: now widely naturalised.

Information: MacDonald (1984), Flora (1989)

Specimen: Established (Male) tree by pond on southern boundary of property at C21H. This is apparently somewhat aged by willow standards and periodically drops a branch - it may be time to pollard it !

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