Salix caroliniana

Common Names

Carolina Willow, Coastal Plain Willow

Summary

Carolina Willow is native to the southeastern United States and grows as a deciduous shrub or small tree, typically 5–10 m tall, with a spreading, drooping crown. Distinctive features include narrowly lance-shaped leaves with pale-white undersides, gray smooth bark with scattered warts and horizontal lenticels, and masses of yellow catkins in spring; seeds are small capsules with silky hairs that drift by wind. It is dioecious and propagates readily from seed or cuttings (including root cuttings), and can resprout from stumps; it inhabits wet areas such as swamps and riverbanks on calcareous soils, and tolerates proximity to salt water with moderate spray tolerance but protection from direct spray.

For cultivation, it prefers full sun to partial shade and consistently moist or wet soils, tolerating temporary flooding but not drought; regular watering and avoidance of overly wet root zones help prevent disease, and propagation occurs from cuttings or seeds. It offers practical landscape benefits including erosion control and wildlife habitat, supports bees with early-season catkins, and serves as a larval host for the Viceroy butterfly; it is used in wetlands/riparian plantings and has ethnobotanical uses such as basket weaving from stems.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

15-32 ft 10 in

Spread

15-30 ft

Hardiness Zones

Zones 4-10

Sunlight Requirements

Full Sun to Partial Shade

Soil Type

Wet, well-drained soils (pH 6.0–7.5)

Soil Drainage

Moist to wet, poorly drained soils

Soil pH

6.0-7.5, Slightly acidic to neutral soils

Bloom Color

Yellow

Bloom Time

Spring to Summer

Foliage Color

Green with a whitish underside.

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

3–5 feet per year under ideal conditions, fast growth

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Cuttings, Layering, Division, Root suckers (vegetative spread)

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, butterflies, other pollinators, birds