Willow id please

**mothhawk** · 20-04-2018, 07:34 PM

It's hard to tell. I think the first one could be grey willow.
Do the pics on this site help?

**Guest** · 20-04-2018, 07:42 PM

TY Mothhawk that is perfect. Pic 1 has grey willow in foreground goat willow at the back. Pic 2 is goat willow, pic 3 is grey willow.

To think I have spent a while trying to figure that out

TY again

**mothhawk** · 20-04-2018, 07:46 PM

It shows how well I look at pictures. I was studying the green catkins in pic one and never even noticed the goat willow catkins behind. Doh.

**mothhawk** · 20-04-2018, 07:57 PM

They are both just pussy willows to me. I've just looked up both and it seems to me the easiest way to distinguish them is by bud colour:

grey - identified in winter by: red hairless narrow buds are pressed close to the twig.
goat - identified in winter by: the greenish-brown rounded hairless buds are only slightly pressed close to the twig

or leaf shape:
grey - the leaves are oval and are at least twice as long as they are wide.
goat - the leaves are oval. They are hairless above, but with a felty coating of fine grey hairs underneath, and have a pointed tip which bends to one side.

Then I read that they hybridise happily, so I guess that throws everything out.

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Willow id please

Willow id please

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