Its glossy leaves make it more decorative than many other willows, so it is often planted as an ornamental tree.

The fruit is a small capsule containing numerous minute seeds embedded in white down which aids wind dispersal.

In the British Isles it is most common in Scotland and northern England and is sometimes planted as an ornamental tree elsewhere.

[4] It occurs beside Llyn Bedydd in Wrexham County Borough, Wales, an uncommon plant in the area.

The catkins are attractive to bees and other insects for the nectar and pollen they produce early in the year.