Laurel Leaf Willow vs Water Arum - TreeTime.ca

Laurel Leaf Willow vs Water Arum

Salix pentandra

Calla palustris

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

CUSTOM GROW

Laurel Leaf Willow
Water Arum

Laurel Leaf Willow is a round-shaped tree with attractive dark green leaves.

This cold hardy tree can withstand bitter winters and still put on lots of growth every summer. Laurel Leaf Willow prefers moist to wet ground and full sun, though it can tolerate partial shade too. This species is also known as one of the more salt-tolerant species for those with saline soils.

All willow are important to native pollinators each spring as they have higher amounts of pollen and nectar early each growing season when other food sources are scarce.

Water Arum is a native perennial wetland plant known for its showy white oval sheaths (spathe) that surround a yellow-green, cylindrical flower spike (spadix). It has large, oblong, heart-shaped leaves on stems that rise above the water from shallow, spreading rhizomes. The blossoms are followed in late summer by tiny, pear-shaped fruits that ripen to bright red, adding ornamental interest to wet habitats.

Water Arum provides food for birds and small mammals that eat its berries, and its flowers attract pollinators. It can tolerate cold climates and forms colonies in shallow water and saturated soils. It is well-suited for ecological restoration, riparian planting, naturalisation, and habitat projects in wet and shaded environments.

Laurel Leaf Willow Quick Facts

Water Arum Quick Facts

Zone: 2b
Zone: 1b
Height: 15 m (49 ft)
Height: 0.2 m (0.8 ft)
Spread: 8 m (25 ft)
Spread: 0.2 m (0.8 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: shade, partial shade
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: colony-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - low
Suckering: medium


Toxicity: toxic if ingested
Foliage: long, glossy
Flowers: white sheath around and yellow spike
Bloom time: spring to summer
Berries: red, in clusters
Seeds: within the capsules
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: yes
Catkins: no

In row spacing: 2.4 - 3 m (8 - 10 ft)

Between row spacing: 5 m (16 ft)
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, PE
Other Names: bay willow, bay-leaf willow, laurel willow
Other Names: bog arum, swamp lily, wild calla, wild dragon