Origin: Europe, western Asia
Botanical characteristics: It is a large shrub or a small tree that is growing fast and reaches 10 meters in height. It has a globular crown with sturdy, smooth and reddish twigs. Leaves are elliptic, ovate or lanceolate, with wavy or crenate margin, red petiole, grey and tomentose below. It is a dioecious plant with male and female inflorescences on separated plants, which bears before the leaves. The male inflorescences are in ovoid yellow-gold catkins that are very evident, while the female ones in smaller silvery catkins.
Agronomic and environmental characteristics: It is spontaneous throughout the whole territory, particularly common in the Alps and Apennines on moist forests up to 1800 meters above sea level.
Use: It is very ornamental for the male catkins that are golden-yellow in late winter. It is used singly or in groups in wild gardens. It is suitable for coating moist slopes and river banks and for reforestation of uncultivated moist areas.
