Sally, Rusty Willow
Salix cinerea
Saileach rua

The sally is a robust shrub or small tree up to 10 metres (32 feet) tall. Its twigs are downy when young and become hairless as they mature. The leaves are rather variable in shape, oval to lanceolate, two to three and a half times as long as broad, slightly downy on top (but not wrinkled like the eared willow), blue-green below with variously coloured hairs. Leaf edges are inrolled and toothed. Ear-shaped stipules are usually present but are quite small. Catkins are 20 to 30 mm long and appear before the leaves.

A native to Ireland, two subspecies of this occur: subsp. oleifolia, the rusty willow, and subsp. cinerea, the grey willow. However, they are difficult to distinguish, though the former tends to have rusty red hairs under the leaves while the latter has grey hairs. This is probably the commonest Irish willow, occurring in hedges, field margins, by ditches, streamside and river banks and in scrubby woodlands.

Deciduous; flowers from March to April.

Information extracted from the Appletree Press title
Appletree Deluxe Editions: Trees and Shrubs
by Peter Wyse-Jackson. Appletree Deluxe Editions: Ireland's Flora & Fauna - Collection, comprising Trees and Shrubs, Birds of Ireland and Wild Flowers.