Salix cinerea aka Pussy Willow

Salix cinerea, commonly known as common sallow, grey sallow, grey willow, grey-leaved sallow, large grey willow, pussy willow, or rusty sallow, is a species of willow native to Europe and western Asia. This large deciduous shrub or small tree can reach heights of 4-15 meters. It has downy new shoots and grey bark. The leaves are long, oval, and shallowly serrated, with a dull green or grey-green color on top and a soft hairy texture underneath. In early spring, catkins appear before the leaves, with male catkins being shorter and initially fluffy grey, turning yellow when ripe, and female catkins being longer and greenish grey. Salix cinerea is an important plant for pollinators, providing a significant amount of nectar. In a UK plants survey conducted by the AgriLand project, it ranked second in terms of nectar production per unit cover per year. The plant is dioecious, with male and female catkins on separate plants. The male catkins are silvery at first, while the female catkins mature in early summer, releasing numerous tiny seeds embedded in white cottony down for wind dispersal. There are two subspecies of Salix cinerea. S. c. cinerea is found in central and eastern Europe, as well as western Asia. It is a shrub that can reach heights of 4-6 meters, with smooth bark and densely hairy leaves below. S. c. oleifolia, also known as S. atrocinerea, is found in western Europe and northwest Africa. It can grow as a shrub or a tree, reaching heights of 10-15 meters. It has furrowed bark and thinly hairy leaves below with dark red-brown hairs. While there is some overlap in their distributions, with both subspecies occurring in a broad band from north to south through France, S. c. cinerea can also be found in Ireland, western France, and Morocco, while S. c. oleifolia extends east to the Netherlands. It's worth noting that specimens of S. c. oleifolia in southern Scandinavia are not native but either planted or naturalized. Additionally, there are intermediate specimens that occur as well.