Willow Identification Key: Tree not weeping

Tree not weeping; top shoots upright; sometimes lower branches drooping

Golden willow (Salix alba var. vitellina) and crack willow (Salix fragilis) in winter

Leaves silky to slightly hairy beneath at maturity

Leaves silky to slightly hairy beneath at maturity

Silky: Refers to the feel of leaf (quick test: rub leaf between thumb and forefinger), this is hard to represent in a photograph)

Willow Identification Key: Tree not weeping

Leaves silky to slightly hairy beneath at maturity

Leaves hairless at maturity