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Carolina willow

Salix caroliniana

Last reviewed: October 2026

Carolina willow (Salix caroliniana) is a perennial tree native to AL, AR, DC, FL and 18 more states. It blooms in February, March, and April. The flowers draw bees and flies.

Carolina willow (Salix caroliniana)
Photo: (c) Jens-Christian Svenning, some rights reserved (CC BY)

Toxicity unknown

Carolina willow (Salix caroliniana) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.

Light

full sun

Water

high

Size

120"–360" H × 96"–240" W

Bloom

Feb, Mar, Apr

Native to

AL, AR, DC, FL and 18 more states

Pollinators

bees, flies

Before you buy

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Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 459 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.

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Browse plants for this ecoregion

Central Great PlainsGreat PlainsCross TimbersEdwards PlateauSouth Central PlainsEastern Temperate ForestsOzark HighlandsCentral Irregular PlainsPiedmontWestern Corn Belt PlainsMiddle Atlantic Coastal PlainNorthern PiedmontSoutheastern PlainsBlue RidgeRidge and ValleyCentral AppalachiansInterior PlateauInterior River Valleys and HillsSouthern Coastal PlainSouthern Florida Coastal Plain

A fast-growing, multi-trunked willow with narrow lance-shaped leaves and small yellow catkins in early spring. Develops a loose, spreading, informal canopy along riverbanks and wet ditches, dropping catkins and leaves through the season.

Growing Carolina willow

Grow Carolina willow in full sun and high water. Mature plants reach 120 to 360 inches tall and spread 96 to 240 inches wide.

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Wildlife value

Host plant for viceroy, mourning cloak.

Early catkins are a key spring pollen source for native bees, and the foliage hosts viceroy and mourning cloak caterpillars.

Common questions

How much sun does Carolina willow need?
Carolina willow grows best in full sun conditions.
When does Carolina willow bloom?
Carolina willow blooms in February, March, and April.
Where is Carolina willow native?
Carolina willow (Salix caroliniana) is native to AL, AR, DC, FL and 18 more states, per the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew).
What butterflies or moths does Carolina willow host?
Carolina willow is a larval host plant for viceroy and mourning cloak.

Native range data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew). Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.

If something looks wrong

Common plant problems, and what to check first

These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.

See all plant problem guides

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