Shining Willow, Salix lasiandra

About Shining Willow (Salix lasiandra) 14 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Salix lasiandra is a native willow tree that grows in virtually every county of the state in wetland-riparian areas. It is a suckering willow that will extend its roots and spread into any area that has sufficient moisture. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of Salix lucida, and some sources may still refer to it by that name. There are two recognized Varieties: Var. lasiandra is widespread. Var. caudata (Shining Willow) is less common and restricted to the Sierras and northward. Like all willows, this species prefers alluvial soils with plenty of water. It is not often seen in residential gardens but is useful in restoration projects, bioswales, and other consistently wet areas.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Tree, Shrub

Size

3 - 30 ft tall

Form

Upright

Growth Rate

Fast

Dormancy

Winter Deciduous

Flower Color

White, Yellow

Flowering Season

Spring

Wildlife Supported

Willows generally attract a lot of wildlife. The genus is host plant to numerous butterflies including the Dreamy Duskywing, Lorquin's Admiral, Mouning Cloak, Sylvan Hairstreak, Viceroy, Western Tiger Swallowtail, and Weidemeyer's Admiral.
Bird gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 4 confirmed

, 220 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Western Tiger Swallowtail Papilio rutulusPapilio rutulus

Mourning Cloak Nymphalis antiopaNymphalis antiopa

Lorquin's Admiral Limenitis lorquiniLimenitis lorquini

Nevada Buckmoth Hemileuca nevadensisHemileuca nevadensis

Milbert's Tortoiseshell Aglais milbertiAglais milberti

Satyr Comma Polygonia satyrusPolygonia satyrus

Two-Tailed Swallowtail Papilio multicaudataPapilio multicaudata

Landscaping Information

Sun

Part Shade

Moisture

Moderate - High

Summer Irrigation

Keep moist

Nurseries

Carried by 14

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to -10° F

Soil Drainage

Slow, Standing

Soil Description

Tolerates a variety of soils but prefers alluvial soil. Soil PH: 5.0 - 7.0

Common uses

Bogs and Ponds, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants

Use with other wetland-riparian plants such as Sycamore (Platanus racemosa), Cottonwood (Populus sp.), Sedges (Carex sp.), Rush (Juncus), etc.

Natural Setting

Site Type

Stream banks, pond margins, drainage ditches, and other wet areas, from sea level to 8,500 ft.

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 5.1" - 113.2", Summer Precipitation: 0.16" - 3.99", Coldest Month: 11.1" - 56.5", Hottest Month: 34.4" - 82.9", Humidity: 0.01" - 33.83", Elevation: -7" - 14114"

Alternative Names

Botanical Names: Salix lucida

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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

Shining Willow

Salix lasiandra

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Shining WillowSalix lasiandra

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Shining Willow

Salix lasiandra