Shining Willow
Salix lasiandra
The shining willow is a broad, deciduous tree whose many woody stems can grow up to 12 meters tall. The young reddish stems are smooth and flexible, but become thicker, darker, and woodier as the tree grows. The twigs, however, remain thin-barked and reddish in color. The slender, tapered leaves are 5-13 cm long and are a shiny light to dark green. The smooth underside is a pale glaucous (or whitish green) color. The shining willow produces greenish yellow catkins,1–9 cm long, in the late spring. The fruit capsule is hairless, but the seeds themselves are covered in soft, cottony hairs.
Basic Information
Member of the Salicaceae, or willow, family
Small deciduous tree or large shrub
There are three recognized varieties:
Salix lasiandra var. lucida – found in Newfoundland, Canada west to eastern Saskatchewan, and south to Maryland and South Dakota
Salix lasiandra var. lasiandra – found from Alaska east to Northwest Territory and south to California and New Mexico
Salix lasiandra var. caudata – found in inland western North America from eastern British Columbia south to eastern California and Nevada
Habitat
Native to northern and western North America
Found in wetland riparian areas, such as in marshes, seeps, streams, and alluvial flats
Ecological Role
Larval host plant to numerous butterflies such as the Mourning Cloak, Acadian Hairsteaks, and Admirals
Birds and small mammals frequent the tree, especially early in the bloom season
The shining willow re-establishes after the fire by sprouting from the root crown
The plant also provides browse and cover for many animals
Willows are important hyperaccumulators, meaning that they absorb harmful chemicals and toxic metals, cleaning the water and soil
Good for restoration projects
Reproduction
Blooms from late March to late June
The tree is dioecious with male and female reproductive organs on separate plants
Alternative Names
Also known by the scientific name Salix lucida
Pacific willow, red willow, whiplash willow
The variety Salix lucida var. caudata is also called greenleaf willow, tail-leaf willow
The variety Salix lucida var. lasiandra is also called black willow, lance-leaf willow, longleaf willow, yellow willow, western black willow, western shining willow
Historical Uses
The Micmac and Ojibwa peoples used the bark of the willow to stop bleeding
The Penobscot and Micmac used the bark for asthma
The Ojibwa and Montagnais used the peeled, toasted and flaked bark used for a kinnikinnick or smoking mixture
The Montagnais used an infusion of the leaves and poultice of the bark for headache
Additional Information
The shining willow is the largest willow found in British Columbia
