Common sallow 🌳🌿

The Common sallow (Salix cinerea, Salicaceae family) is a shrub or small tree that rarely exceeds 6 meters in height. The young twigs are covered with a velvety down. The leaves 🌿 are oval or lanceolate, up to 10 cm long, and dull green; they are covered with hairs, much denser on the underside, giving the plant a grayish coloration.
The gray willow blooms 🌸 in March-April, before the leaves appear.
The inflorescences offer generous amounts of nectar, an important resource collected by bees 🐝 who find their first supplies of the year here.
The Common sallow lives on riverbanks, in marshy and swampy grounds, fresh and moist.
⁉️ Did you know? 😲
As with other willow species, both the bark and leaves contain salicin. This substance makes them toxic to many animals. Salicin can be used to extract salicylic acid, from which aspirin 💊 is derived.
Photo Pixabay