<p><i>Salix purpurea</i> L. (Salicaceae) is a Eurasian willow widely planted and prone to escape in riparian environments; however, its naturalized distribution in Chile remains incompletely documented. The aims of this contribution were (i) to document the presence of <i>S. purpurea</i> in La Araucanía and its possible extension into Los Ríos, and (ii) to describe, based on field observations and photographic evidence, visible diagnostic traits and the local establishment habitat. Targeted (non-systematic) surveys were conducted in winter 2024, summer 2025, and April 2026 along riverbanks and lake shores, focusing on the Cautín–Imperial and Toltén systems and extending surveys to the Cruces basin and the Leufucade–Lake Panguipulli corridor; additionally, publicly available georeferenced records (iNaturalist) were reviewed. We recorded coordinates (decimal degrees), riparian/littoral units, substrate, disturbance, and—when possible—sex (male/female) and fruiting (capsules/seeds); voucher specimens were collected and deposited at CONC (Herbarium Universidad de Concepción, Chile). Online Resource 1 compiles 22 records, of which 17 were confirmed in the field; four correspond to iNaturalist records not field-verified by this study, and one to a historical record associated with an introduction trial. Records were grouped into three contiguous hydrographic systems (Cautín–Imperial; Toltén—including Villarrica–Pucón; and Cruces–Leufucade) and concentrated on clastic alluvial substrates and disturbed or hydromorphologically dynamic aquatic margins; among confirmed sites, the most frequently recorded occurrence forms were compact patches and branched shrubs (n = 5 each). The occurrence of both sexes, fruiting females, and field evidence of juvenile establishment is consistent with local-scale naturalization, although the relative contribution of seed-derived and vegetative recruitment remains unresolved.</p>