This article is about the willow tree family, types, description and more. This is an excerpt from the book called “Trees of California Sierra Nevada” by “George A Petrides”. Thanks to the author and please leave a comment.

BUDS WITH ONE SCALE: WILLOWS

Though some willows can be recognized by their slender leaves, others have wider foliage.

Some non-willows (plates 19,29) also have  narrow leaves.

The field mark that best identifies willows regardless of leaf shape is the single, smooth scale that covers the bud like a cap (use lens).

California sycamore (plate16) also has such a single bud scale, but that tree is otherwise much different. Willows have three bundle scars per leaf scar as well as flowers and fruits in slender, dry, fuzzy, caterpillar like catkins. Most willows grow on moist soils.

The willows of this plate have leaves mostly without teeth and with V-shaped leaf bases; the species of Plate 18 are nearly always fine-toothed and sometimes U-based.

HINDS WILLOW Salix hindsiana Benth.

 A streamside tree with narrow leaves like sandbar willow (plate 18) [and combined with it by Argus (in Hickman, 1993)].  The foliage is short-pointed and lacks leaf teeth.  Leaves 1 1/2 “-31/2”long and only 1/8”-1/4” wide.  Both leaves and twigs gray- or white-hairy (use lens); buds 1/8” – ¼” long.  Height to 25’; usually below 3000’elevation.

GEYER WILLOW Salix geyeriana  Anderss.

 Leaves often blunt, silky-hairy, only 1”-3” long, 3/8” -1/2” wide and whitened beneath  Twigs somewhat reddish, often with a whitish powder; buds less than 1/8” long.  Height to 15’; at 5000’-7000’ elevations.  Karl Geyer, a German botanist, collected plants in the West during the 1840s.

ARROYO WILLOW salix lasiolepis Benth.

 Leaves of medium width, short-pointed or blunt, shiny, rather leathery,  thickened, 2”-5” long and ½”-1” wide.  Twigs hairless, yellowish; buds over ¼” long.  Height to 30’ Mainly below 7000’.  More common in the coast ranges.

SUCOULER WILLOW Salix scouleriana Hook.

  A broad-leaved willow found over most of the Pacific North-west.  Leaves mostly blunt, 2”-5” long, ½” wide, and more or less wavy-edged.  Foliage widest toward the tip, whitish and often somewhat hairy beneath. Twigs yellowish to dark, often drooping; buds over ¼” long.  Height to 25’; growing at elevations below 7000’. John Scouler, a Scottish physician, studied plants along the Pacific Coast in the early 19^th century.

BUDS WITH ONE SCALE: WILLOWS II

These species also have leaves of narrow to medium width.  Unlike the willows of Plate 17, they are usually fine-toothed with U- or V-shaped bases.  See also Narrow leaf Cottonwood, Plate 19.

SANDBAR WILLOW Salix exigua Nutt.

A transcontinental species with very narrow, long-pointed leaves 1 ½”-4 ¼” long and only 1/8”-3/8” wide (see Hinds Willow, plate 17).  Leaves V-based and often white-hairy beneath.  Leaf teeth often few, rarely none.  Leafstalks 1/8 “ long or lacking. Twigs hairy; buds 1/8’ -1/4” long. To 20’ tall at elevations up to 8000’. The long twigs and branchlets are used in basket-making.

BLACK WILLOW  Salix gooddingii C.Ball

Another slender-leaved and V-based willow but with foliage  2”-6” long ¼”-5/8” wide, hairless, and gray-green on both sides, stipules frequent.  Leafstalks 1/8”-1/4” long.  Twigs hairless; buds less than 1/8” long.  Elevations to 5000’.  Formerly included in      S. nigra Marsh.

PACIFIC WILLOW

Salix lucida ssp. lasiandra (Benth) E. Murray A willow with shiny, dark green, hairless, and long-pointed leaves, the stalks ½”-3/4” long.  Glands present on the U-shaped leaf base or upper leafstalk (use lens).  Leaves 2”-5” long; ½”-1” wide, hairless, whitish beneath, stipules common.  Twigs hairless; buds over ¼” in length.  Height to 60’- elevations to 8000’- Makes good charcoal.  Previously S. lasiandra.

MACKENZIE WILLOW Salix prolix Anderss.

Also with U-or heart-shaped leaf bases and long leafstalks but the foliage short-pointed and without glands.  Leaves 2 ½”-4” long, 5/8”-1 ½” wide, hairless, and whitened beneath, stipules frequent.  Leafstalks ¼”-3/4” in length.  Twigs hairless; buds under 1/8” long.  Height to 20’- Mainly at 5000-9000’elevations in Red Fir forests.  Also known as S. mackenzieana (Hook) Barrett.

RED WILLOW Salix leavigata Bebb

Leaves shiny, pale green, thick, long- or short-pointed.  Foliage 3” – 7” long, 1.2”- 1 ½” wide, and ±hairy beneath.  Leafstalks ¼”-1/2” in length, glands present or not.  Twigs mostly hairy; buds 1/8”-1/4” long.  Catkins not at leaf angles.  Height to 50’.  Mostly elevations below 6000’ from cen.  Arizona to

1. Mexico. Also S. Oregon to NW. Mexico.

BONPLAND WILLOW Salix bonplandiana Kunth.

Not illustrated.  Like Red Willow but less wide-ranging.  Twigs mostly hairless; leafstalk glands absent; catkins mainly at the leaf angles.  Se. Arizona to Guatemala.