Editing Salix caprea (section)

==Ecology==
''S. caprea'' occurs both in wet/damp environments, such as riverbanks and lake shores, and in drier sites, wherever bare soil becomes available due to ground disturbance.<ref name=meikle/>

[[Hybrid (biology)|Hybrids]] with several other willow species are common, notably with ''[[Salix cinerea]]'' (''S. × reichardtii''), ''[[Salix aurita]]'' (''S. × multinervis''), ''[[Salix viminalis]]'' (''S. × smithiana''), and ''[[Salix purpurea]]'' (''S. × sordida''). Populations of ''S. caprea'' often show [[hybrid introgression]].<ref name=meikle/><ref name=rushforth/>

Unlike almost all other willows, pure specimens do not take root readily from cuttings; if a willow resembling the species does root easily, it is probably a hybrid with another species of willow.<ref name=rushforth/>

The leaves are used as a food resource by several species of Lepidoptera, and are also commonly eaten by browsing [[mammal]]s. Willows are very susceptible to gall inducers, and the midge ''[[Rhabdophaga rosaria]]'' forms the camellia gall on ''S. caprea''.<ref>[http://www.joensuu.fi/biologia/nyman/IOWgallinducers.htm Gall Inducers] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611161957/http://www.joensuu.fi/biologia/nyman/IOWgallinducers.htm |date=June 11, 2011 }}</ref>