Purple Willow
The
Purple Willow or
Purple Osier (''Salix purpurea'\') is a species of
willow native to most of
Europe and western
Asia. It is a
shrub to 1-2 m tall. The leaves are 2-8 cm long and 1-2 cm wide, and, unusually for a willow, often arranged in opposite pairs rather than alternate. The
flowers are small catkins, produced in early spring; they are often purple in colour, whence the name of the species (other willows mostly have whitish, yellow or green catkins).
