Leaves & needles
Thick, shiny oval leaves with fine teeth; young leaves are sticky and mature leaves dark green.
UK nativeDeciduousTypical height 6–18 m
Bay willow
Salix pentandra
A native willow of damp northern places, with unusually glossy leaves resembling those of the evergreen bay tree.
THROUGH THE YEAR
Bay willow through the seasons
A rounded-to-oval crown of glossy foliage, with catkins following the new leaves.
Glossy foliage turns yellow before falling; female seed catkins may persist.
A fine, open branching crown with narrow alternate buds.
Typical open-grown form. Leaf fall varies with weather and location; young or clipped trees may retain dead leaves. Pruned, sheltered and young trees can look different.
LOOK A LITTLE CLOSER
How to identify bay willow
Bark
Dark grey bark with scaly, crossing ridges on older trunks.
Twigs
Smooth, glossy green-brown shoots with alternate buds.
Buds
Narrow green-brown buds, sometimes sticky, enclosed in a single cap-like scale.
Flowers & pollen
Yellow male or green female catkins appear on separate trees after the leaves unfold in late spring.
Fruit, seeds & cones
Female catkins form capsules containing tiny seeds surrounded by white, wind-dispersed down.
Typical flowering: May, Jun. Weather and location change timing.
Images show typical features and are not to scale. Confirm several features using the reference sources below.
CARE WITH PURPOSE
Caring for bay willow
Help it thrive
Best on reliably moist ground in sun. Allow a generous root area; avoid drying or draining the ground around an established tree.
Pruning advice
Maintain a balanced framework with limited selective cuts. Old pollards and trees beside water need an individual maintenance plan.
When can it be pruned?
June–August for selective routine work
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Highlighted months are an indicative window for the work described, not a reason to prune every year. An unshaded month is not an absolute ban.
Timing must suit the tree's health, weather, wildlife and legal protection. Avoid severe frost, drought and vulnerable new leaf growth. Mature trees, major branches and suspected defects need professional assessment.
Tree health: what to watch for
Identification & care references
Guide researched November 2026. Identification remains provisional until several features agree. UK native means native in some part of the UK, not necessarily your area.
Before work in England, check tree preservation orders, conservation-area restrictions and wildlife protection. Official tree protection guidance ↗