Salix Trees

Browse our amazing selection of Salix Trees, perfect for bringing colour, form, and interest to gardens and patios all year round. Salix trees are popular for their elegant form and beautiful seasonal displays, from the colourful foliage of Salix integra ‘Hakuro Nishiki’ (Flamingo Willow) to more traditional ornamental willow varieties. Willow trees are easy to grow and easy to maintain. They will grow in sunny or partially shaded positions and prefer reliably moist soil. Compact varieties are great for patio pots and smaller gardens, while large Salix make wonderful statement trees. Check out our Salix trees for sale and discover a lovely willow to improve your outdoor area.

What Makes Salix Trees Worth Growing

Willow trees earn their place in a garden through sheer reliability. Once planted, a Salix tree asks little of you but gives back colour, character and year-round interest across the year.

  • Easy, reliable growth: Most Salix establish quickly and cope with a wide range of soil types, from clay to sandy ground.
  • Early Spring Catskin: Slender yellow or grey catkins open on bare branches in early spring, often the first sign of new growth in the garden.
  • Colour and character: The Flamingo Willow tree unfurls shoots blotched pink and white, while Dragon's Claw willow carries twisted stems that stand out even in winter.
  • A shape for every plot: Pick a small weeping form for a patio pot or a taller variety to anchor a border.
  • Genuinely low maintenance: Once rooted, Salix trees rarely need feeding and only light pruning to keep their shape.

Choosing and Planting the Right Willow Tree

Picking the right Salix tree comes down to space, soil and how much structure you want it to add.

  • For patios and small plots: The Kilmarnock weeping willow stays compact and suits a large pot or a tight border without spreading far.
  • For a focal point: The Flamingo Willow works well planted alone where its pink spring shoots can be seen from the house.
  • For texture and interest: Dragon's Claw willow brings twisted branches that many gardeners cut for flower arranging once the tree has finished flowering.
  • Soil and light: Plant in moist, free-draining soil in full sun or partial shade, watering well while roots establish.
  • Setting the tree in: Plant at the same soil level it was growing at in its pot, then firm gently and water in.
  • Growing in a container: A good set of pots and planters makes it easy to move a young willow tree into a sheltered spot over its first winter.

Get the position right at planting time, and a Salix tree will settle with very little looking after.

Salix Trees Through the Seasons

A willow tree changes more through the year than most garden plants, so there's rarely a dull month once one is settled in.

  • Late winter to spring: Bare stems break into soft catkins, a welcome sign that the growing season has begun.
  • Spring foliage: Fresh leaves follow the catkins, with the Flamingo Willow showing pink and white new growth before it settles to green.
  • Summer: Full leaf cover gives shade and movement, with willow branches catching even a light breeze.
  • Autumn: Leaves turn soft gold before falling, and varieties like Dragon's Claw keep their sculptural stems visible once bare.
  • Winter: Twisted or weeping branches give the garden shape when little else is in leaf.

Those early catkins matter beyond the garden too, giving bees an early source of food, so a Salix also fits well alongside our pollinator-friendly plants. Planted where you can see it from a window, a Salix tree gives you something to notice in every season.

Why Buy Your Salix Tree from Carbeth Plants

We choose our willow trees for how well they cope with UK gardens, not just how they look in a photo.

  • A considered range: From the compact Kilmarnock to the taller Dragon's Claw willow, so you can match a variety to your space.
  • Clear pot sizes: Listed against each product so you know what you're buying, whether you want a young plant or a more established tree.
  • Careful UK delivery: Orders are packed to protect stems and roots, then sent out to addresses across the UK.
  • Checked before dispatch: Each tree is looked over before it leaves us, so what arrives is healthy and ready to plant.
  • Support beyond the sale: If you're unsure which Salix tree suits your plot, get in touch, and we'll help you decide.
  • A wider range if you need it: Browse garden shrubs to build out the planting around your new tree.

Order your Salix tree today, and Carbeth Plants will have it packed and on its way to your garden, ready to settle in and grow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Size depends on the variety. Compact forms like Kilmarnock have a height and spread of around 2.5m, ideal for patios and small gardens. Larger types, including Dragon's Claw willow, can reach 10 metres or more over time, so check the mature size before planting near a house or boundary.
Most Salix trees grow well in full sun or light shade, in soil that holds some moisture but still drains freely. Avoid deep shade and soil that dries out completely in summer. Keep larger varieties away from drains, pipes and building foundations, since roots can spread wide.
Willow trees can be prone to canker, rust and the odd aphid, though most issues are manageable with a quick prune of affected growth. Larger varieties have vigorous roots that can disturb drains, patios, or nearby foundations, so it’s worth thinking through their position before planting.
Salix trees generally prefer full sun or partial shade, and most tolerate either well once established. Full sun tends to bring out stronger catkin displays and, in varieties like Flamingo Willow, brighter foliage colour. Light shade still suits them, just with slightly softer colours through spring
Growth speed varies by variety. Dragon's Claw willow is a genuinely fast, medium-sized grower once established, while Kilmarnock is grafted onto a fixed-height stem and stays close to its final 2.5m size regardless of age. Check a variety's own habit rather than assuming all willows grow at the same rate
Yes, compact varieties such as Kilmarnock weeping willow are well suited to large pots and patio containers. Choose a generous container with good drainage, keep the compost moist through the growing season, and expect to repot every few years as the root system fills the space.
Yes, Salix trees are deciduous, so they drop their leaves in autumn and stay bare through winter. This isn't a problem to worry about, since many of the varieties still add interest in the colder months through twisted stems, weeping branch shapes, or early catkins on bare wood
"Willow tree" covers the whole Salix family, from small shrubs to large upright trees. A weeping willow refers specifically to varieties with drooping, cascading branches, such as Kilmarnock. Not every Salix weeps, so the two terms aren't interchangeable even though they're often used loosely.
Compact varieties are genuinely well suited to small gardens. Kilmarnock stays neat in a border or large pot, while grafted forms of Flamingo Willow can be kept trimmed to size. Larger, fast-growing types are better suited to bigger plots where their eventual spread has room to develop