Willow (13)
Willows occur in moist areas from the plains to alpine
meadows. They have tiny flowers with no petals in dense spikes called
catkins with male and female flowers on separate plants. They range from
dwarf shrubs to trees and they are notoriously difficult to
distinguish. Here are some that have some more unique characteristics. I found this
key by G. Kittel to be very useful.
At left are two of the most common species in the Gunnison Basin, the Mountain Willow and the Plane-leaved Willow, photographed in the Slate River Valley in the Fall.
See also Arctic Willow and Snow Willow.
Peachleaf Willow
Salix amygdaloides
Family:
Willow (Salicaceae)
AKA:
Peach-leaved Willow
Photo taken on:
June 13, 2008
Location:
Almont, CO
Life Zones:
Plains to montane
Habitat:
Wet areas, stream banks, ditches
A shrub or tree growing from 10-65ft, often near cottonwoods, with a single trunk, many branches and drooping, yellowish twigs. Leaves are long, from 2" to 6", and narrow; shiny green on top, pale underneath, with finely serrated edges. Female catkins are up to 3" long, males less than 2" (photo at left), both are erect.
Flora of North America reference.
Weeping Willow
Salix babylonica
Family:
Willow (Salicaceae)
AKA:
Babylon Willow
Photo taken on:
July 28, 2014
Location:
Rio Chama, Abiquiu, NM
Life Zones:
Plains and foothills
Habitat:
Moist areas
A tree growing 30 to 50ft tall with long drooping branches. The trunk is furrowed and gray. Leaves are narrow, lance-shaped, light green above and silvery green underneath with finely serrated edges. Introduced from China centuries ago.
Flora of North America reference.
Bebb's Willow
Salix bebbiana
Family:
Willow (Salicaceae)
AKA:
Gray Willow, Long-beaked Willow
Photo taken on:
June 22, 2016
Location:
Santa Barbara Canyon, Carson NF, NM
Life Zones:
Plains, foothills and montane
Habitat:
Moist conifer forests, stream sides
Grows as a large multi-stemmed shrub or small tree to 18 feet tall forming dense colonies. Leaves are oval shaped and have mostly smooth edges, are green above and gray beneath.
Flora of North America reference.
Barrenground Willow
Salix brachycarpa
Family:
Willow (Salicaceae)
AKA:
Short-fruit Willow, Small-fruit Willow
Photo taken on:
July 14, 2007
Location:
Scarp Ridge, GV, CO
Life Zones:
Subalpine to alpine
Habitat:
Moist areas
A shrub growing to 6ft tall in thickets. Leaves are bluish green on top, paler and hairy underneath.
Male (below) and female flowers are on separate plants.
Flora of North America reference.
Drummond's Willow
Salix drummondiana
Family:
Willow (Salicaceae)
AKA:
Blue Willow
Photo taken on:
June 19, 2007
Location:
Almont, CO
Life Zones:
Foothills to subalpine
Habitat:
Moist areas
Grows to 15ft tall. The twigs have a bluish coating. Leaves are long, up to 3", and tapered, green on top, hairy underneath.
Flora of North America reference.
Coyote Willow
Salix exigua
Family:
Willow (Salicaceae)
AKA:
Sandbar Willow, Narrowleaf Willow
Photo taken on:
June 4, 2013
Location:
Abiquiu, NM
Life Zones:
Plains and foothills
Habitat:
Moist areas, ditches, stream banks
Grows to 8ft tall in thickets with yellow, red and tannish stems. The leaves are long, up to 5", very narrow and hairy. The male flowers point up, the females droop down.
Flora of North America reference.
Goodding's Black Willow
Salix gooddingii
Family:
Willow (Salicaceae)
AKA:
Photo taken on:
June 15, 2015
Location:
Abiquiu Lake, NM
Life Zones:
Plains and foothills
Habitat:
River banks, moist areas
Grows from 9 to 90 feet tall with thick, furrowed, shreddy bark and many thin branches. The leaves are up to 5" long, green on both sides, lance-shaped, and finely serrated along the edges.
Flora of North America reference.
Red Willow
Salix laevigata (Salix bonplandiana var. laevigata)
Family:
Willow (Salicaceae)
AKA:
Polished Willow
Photo taken on:
September 6, 2014
Location:
Abiquiu, NM
Life Zones:
Plains and foothills
Habitat:
Streamsides, springs, ditches
A shrub or a tree growing to 45 feet tall. Young twigs are red. Leaves are lance-shaped with finely serrated edges and are from 2" to over 6" long. The upper surface is green, underneath is pale. Where some leaves are attached to the stem there are a pair of small leaves called stipules.
Flora of North America reference.
Greenleaf Willow
Salix lasiandra var. caudata
Family:
Willow (Salicaceae)
AKA:
Tail-leaf Willow, Whiplash Willow, Pacific Willow
Photo taken on:
July 17, 2015
Location:
Almont, CO
Life Zones:
Plains, foothills and montane
Habitat:
Riparian thickets, moist areas
Grows to tree height, up to 40 feet, or as a shrub. It commonly associates with other willows, alders and cottonwoods. Leaves are from 1" to 8" long with a shiny upper surface and green lower surface. Leaves have finely serrated edges and are lance-shaped with a long pointed tip.
Flora of North America reference.
Family:
Willow (Salicaceae)
AKA:
Strapleaf Willow
Photo taken on:
September 6, 2020
Location:
Almont, CO
Life Zones:
Foothills to montane
Habitat:
Moist areas,
ditches, stream sides
Despite its common name, Yellow Willow is not as yellow as Mountain Willow, and is found in the same environments forming thickets. It grows as a shrub, or rarely, as a small tree up to 23 feet. The silvery-gray bark of older twigs distinguishes it from many closely related willows. Young twigs are reddish or greenish. The leaves are mostly lance-shaped or strap-shaped with finely toothed or smooth edges, bluish-green above and pale beneath with sharply pointed tips and often rounded bases.
Flora of North America reference.
Mountain Willow
Salix monticola
Family:
Willow (Salicaceae)
AKA:
Park Willow, Rocky Mountain Willow
Photo taken on:
August 28, 2014
Location:
Lower Loop, Crested Butte, CO
Life Zones:
Foothills to montane
Habitat:
Moist areas, stream sides
Grows to 10 feet forming dense thickets with Plane-leaved Willows. It has bright yellow twigs which are easily identified when there are no leaves. Leaves are yellowish-green, oval-shaped and sometimes finely toothed.
Flora of North America reference.
Plane-leaved Willow
Salix planifolia
Family:
Willow (Salicaceae)
AKA:
Diamond Leaf Willow, Tea Leaf Willow
Photo taken on:
July 14, 2007
Location:
Scarp Ridge, GV, CO
Life Zones:
Foothills to alpine
Habitat:
Moist areas
A shrub growing from less than 3 feet to 9 feet forming dense thickets with shiny, reddish-brown twigs. Leaves are oval-shaped, green on top, gray underneath.
Flora of North America reference.
Scouler's Willow
Salix scouleriana
Family:
Willow (Salicaceae)
AKA:
Mountain Willow
Photo taken on:
July 3, 2014
Location:
Almont, CO
Life Zones:
Foothills to subalpine
Habitat:
Dry to moist thickets, open forests, moist areas
A shrub or tree growing from 6 to 30 feet tall with drooping branches and yellowish or reddish twigs. Leaves are dark green and shiny on top, pale underneath with smooth edges. Leaves are narrowly oval with a yellow mid-vein and are usually widest nearer the tip. Male catkins are 1" long, female 2" or more.
Flora of North America reference.
This willow is not producing roses. The
rose-like structure is a gall created as defense to the Rosette Willow Gall
Midge, Rabdophaga rosaria. When eggs of this species are laid the lengthwise
growth of infected willow shoots is halted. As the leaves continue to grow, a
characteristic "rose" is formed at the tip of the shoot. The species
occurs on many willow species, and the small red larva can be found in
the center of the rosette.
Photo taken on:
July 28, 2022
Location:
CO SR 135, Almont, CO