The name of this species puzzles many people, especially as it is repeated by its scientific name, Salix caprea; but its leaves are a favourite food of browsing goats, and were valued as fodder because they open early in the spring when grass is scarce. Unlike most other willows the Goat willow grows into a large tree, and can produce a trunk very fast. The answer to producing quick tree canopy to an open site. Furthermore, it is a pioneer species more of dry soils than it is of wet sites. This species is naturally distributed across all British Isles including Ireland, Orkneys and Shetland, and is autochthonous across all the south-west counties.
At Trebrown Nurseries we maintain our own registered seed stands on Trebrown Farm, which remain the only seed stand registered in Cornwall. Salix caprea is not a FRM controlled species, but is certified under the voluntary FRM scheme.
