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Arroyo Willow
Salix lasiolepis
  
About Arroyo Willow (Salix lasiolepis) 41 Nurseries Carry This Plant Arroyo Willow (Salix lasiolepis) is an abundant and widespread native small tree or shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California. Arroyo Willow likes water and in the garden must have constantly moist soil. It is a fast-growing small tree, reaching 15 to 30 feet high and 5 to 10 feet wide. The leaves are long and thin. Being deciduous, Arroyo Willow is leafless part of the year. The flower is a yellowish catkin that becomes a fluffy white mass of seeds.

Willows (Salix spp.) are very important wildlife plants, used by birds, insects, amphibians and mammals. Numerous insects, especially wasps, lay their eggs on willow leaves, forming galls. These galls are usually not harmful to the plant and should not be viewed as pests.

Arroyo Willow grows in full sun in a variety of soils, as long as it has adequate drainage. It is recommended as erosion control near streams. Spreading by root runners it can be invasive in moist areas. Gardeners with a bog or pond use it with other wetland plants such as Maple, Spicebush, Dogwood, Currant, and California Wildrose. It can be pruned or sheared in winter to form a hedge.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Tree, Shrub

Size
Size
7 - 35 ft tall
15 ft wide

Form
Form
Upright, Rounded, Upright Columnar

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast, Moderate

Dormancy
Dormancy
Winter Deciduous

Flower Color
Flower Color
Cream, Yellow

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Winter, Spring

Wildlife Supported
 
Willows (Salix spp.) in general are very important wildlife plants, used by numerous birds, insects, amphibians and mammals.

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Moderate - High

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Keep moist

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to -15° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Slow, Standing

Soil Description
Soil Description
Tolerates a variety of soils as long as adequate drainage is provided. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0

Common uses
Common uses
Bogs and Ponds, Hedges, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Use with other wetland plants such as Cattail (Typha sp.), Maple (Acer sp.), Alder (Alnus sp.), Mulefat (Baccharis salicifolia), Spicebush (Calycanthus occidentalis), Dogwood (Cornus sp.), Oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor), Black Walnut (Juglans sp.), Sycamore (Platanus racemosa), Cottonwood (Populus sp.), Currant (Ribes sp.), and California Wild Rose (Rosa californica)

Maintenance
Maintenance
Numerous insects, especially wasps, lay their eggs on willow leaves, forming galls. Though sometimes unsightly, these galls are usually not harmful to the plant and should not be viewed as pests.. It can be pruned or sheared in winter to form a hedge.

Propagation
Propagation?
For propagating by seed: No treatment. Use fresh seeds (usually viable only a few days). Seeds should not be covered or pressed into a medium. Seedbed should be kept saturated for the first month. Easily propagated from cuttings.

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6*, 7*, 8*, 9*, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Shores, marshes, meadows, springs, other moist areas

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 3.2" - 151.0", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 5.63", Coldest Month: 19.2" - 57.0", Hottest Month: 41.2" - 83.5", Humidity: 0.10" - 35.42", Elevation: -714" - 12704"

Alternative Names
Botanical Names: Salix lasiolepis var. bigelovii
Common Names: Arroyo Uillou


Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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