White willow
Salix alba
The white willow is a characteristic deciduous tree of European floodplains and the namesake of the softwood riparian forest. It reaches heights of up to 35 meters and is distinguished by its narrow, silvery-haired leaves. As a pioneer species, it is extremely fast-growing and possesses a high regenerative capacity following mechanical damage caused by flooding.
Details
Oxygen production
High due to rapid growth and large leaf biomass.
Habitat function
Nesting site for cavity-nesting birds, food source for over 100 insect species, and refuge for fish during floods.
Nutrient uptake
Very high uptake of nitrogen and phosphorus, acting as a natural filter for groundwater.
Food source for
Honeybees, wild bees, butterfly larvae (e.g., eyed hawkmoth), beavers.
Human use
Basketry, fiber production, medicinal use (salicylic acid from bark), and short rotation coppice for bioenergy.
Ecology
Ecological role
Dominant species of the softwood floodplain; stabilizes riverbanks and provides habitat for specialized insects and birds.
Natural predators
Willow leaf beetles, various longhorn beetle species, wood-decaying fungi such as chicken of the woods.
Competitor species
Other willow species (Salix spp.), black poplar (Populus nigra), and in later stages, species of the hardwood floodplain.
Ecosystem service
Flood protection through wave attenuation, shore stabilization, carbon sequestration, and an important early spring nectar source for bees.
Threats
Loss of natural river dynamics due to channelization, hybridization with cultivated forms, and lowering of groundwater levels.
Scientific profile
Profile
Protection & threats
Main threats
River regulation and dike construction (loss of floodplain dynamics), hybridization with crack willow (Salix fragilis) resulting in Salix x rubens, and groundwater depletion.