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Salix lasiandra (Shining Willow)

Shining Willow, Salix lucida

Salix lasiandra, Shining Willow, Salix lucida, Evergreen Shrub, California Native Shrub, Shade Shrub
Salix lasiandra, Shining Willow, Salix lucida, Evergreen Shrub, California Native Shrub, Shade Shrub
Salix lasiandra, Shining Willow, Salix lucida, Evergreen Shrub, California Native Shrub, Shade Shrub

Salix lasiandra (Shining Willow) is an upright, multi-stemmed, large shrub or small deciduous tree with a broadly spreading, rounded crown. The shiny green leaves are lanceolate, 2-5 in. long (5-12 cm), finely toothed along the margins, and paler green below. They flutter in the breeze, creating a rippling bicolored effect. Shining Willow is dioecious with separate male and female plants. In mid to late spring, fuzzy catkins appear with or before the leaves. The pollen-releasing male catkins are yellow, while the seed-producing catkins are green. Seeds are tiny and embedded in a mass of tangled hairs that lifts and carries the seeds away on the air currents. Native to the western and southwestern United States, Shining Willow grows in wet to moist sites at middle to high elevations. Fast-growing, cold-hardy, Shining Willow can be used as a specimen, in group planting, near bodies of water, as an informal hedge, or as a deciduous screen. Its suckering habit aids in erosion control and makes it useful for stabilizing streambanks and improving wildlife habitat. The catkins are a source of pollen for beneficial insects and the catkins and buds are food for small game and songbirds in spring. Shining Willow is a host plant for the Mourning Cloak, Acadian Hairsteaks, Admirals. It is recommended for restoration projects and is easily propagated.

  • Grows up to 10-30 ft. tall (3-9 m) and 10-25 ft. wide (3-8 m). Adds 36 in. per year (90 cm).
  • Performs best in full sun to part shade, in moist to wet soils. Can withstand seasonal flooding.
  • Good for hedges and screens, wildlife gardens, or along streams or ponds.
  • Keep an eye out for anthracnose, willow blight, armillaria, phytophthora, aphids, beetle borers, caterpillars, spider mites, Verticillium.
  • Shining willow is distributed from Alaska east to Labrador and south to California, Kansas, and North Carolina.

Requirements

Hardiness 2 - 9
Climate Zones 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24
Plant Type Shrubs, Trees
Plant Family Salicaceae
Genus Salix
Common names Willow
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Mid, Late)
Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Fall
Height 10' - 30'
(3m - 9.1m)
Spread 10' - 25'
(3m - 7.6m)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Average, High
Soil Type Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Poorly Drained
Characteristics Showy
Native Plants United States, New York, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Jersey, Maryland, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Southwest, Southeast, Alaska, Pacific Northwest, Midwest, California, Wisconsin, Kansas, Michigan, Indiana, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Illinois, Iowa, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Virginia, West Virginia, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, Utah, Montana, Colorado
Tolerance Salt, Wet Soil
Attracts Birds, Butterflies
Garden Uses Hedges And Screens, Ponds And Streams
Garden Styles Prairie and Meadow
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Alternative Plants to Consider

Salix exigua (Coyote Willow)
Salix lasiolepis (Arroyo Willow)
Salix nigra (Black Willow)
Salix purpurea (Purple Willow)
Salix ‘Golden Curls’ (Willow)
Salix gracilistyla ‘Melanostachys’ (Black Pussy Willow)

Find In One of Our Guides or Gardens

Pussy Willow: The Ultimate Guide to Growing and Caring for This Spring Beauty
Small Trees and Shrubs That Attract Birds
Green Canopy, Better World: Exploring the Benefits of Trees
Trees that Invite Wildlife to Your Garden
Create a Garden with Great Winter Interest
Native Plant Alternatives to Salix babylonica (Weeping Willow)
Native Plant Alternatives to Salix alba (White Willow)
Shrubs and Trees with Colorful and Distinctive Twigs in Winter
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.
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Requirements

Hardiness 2 - 9
Climate Zones 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24
Plant Type Shrubs, Trees
Plant Family Salicaceae
Genus Salix
Common names Willow
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Mid, Late)
Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Fall
Height 10' - 30'
(3m - 9.1m)
Spread 10' - 25'
(3m - 7.6m)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Average, High
Soil Type Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Poorly Drained
Characteristics Showy
Native Plants United States, New York, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Jersey, Maryland, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Southwest, Southeast, Alaska, Pacific Northwest, Midwest, California, Wisconsin, Kansas, Michigan, Indiana, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Illinois, Iowa, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Virginia, West Virginia, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, Utah, Montana, Colorado
Tolerance Salt, Wet Soil
Attracts Birds, Butterflies
Garden Uses Hedges And Screens, Ponds And Streams
Garden Styles Prairie and Meadow
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Do I Need?
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Salix (Willow)
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