Arroyo Willow, Salix lasiolepis

About Arroyo Willow (Salix lasiolepis) 37 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Arroyo Willow is an abundant and widespread native tree or shrub that grows in northern, southern and central California. It tends to grow in marshes or other wet areas, at elevations from 0-7000 feet. It grows in or adjacent to many habitats including coastal sage scrub, riparian, southern oak woodland, yellow pine forest, and central oak woodland habitats. It is an indicator species for freshwater marsh. It spreads by root runners and will tend to fill in moist areas. In the garden it must have constantly moist soil. It is deciduous, so it will be leafless for part of the year. The flower is a yellowish catkin that is important to many insects and birds. It is used most often for restoration projects.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Tree, Shrub

Size

7 - 35 ft tall
15 ft wide

Form

Upright, Rounded, Upright Columnar

Growth Rate

Fast, Moderate

Dormancy

Winter Deciduous

Flower Color

Cream, Yellow

Flowering Season

Winter, Spring

Wildlife Supported

Willows (Salix sp.) in general are very important wildlife plants, used by numerous birds, insects, amphibians and mammals
Bird gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 13 confirmed

, 211 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Western Tiger Swallowtail Papilio rutulusPapilio rutulus

Lorquin's Admiral Limenitis lorquiniLimenitis lorquini

Sylvan Hairstreak Satyrium sylvinusSatyrium sylvinus

Fruit-Tree Leafroller Moth Archips argyrospilaArchips argyrospila

Willow Leaf Blotch Miner Phyllonorycter salicifoliellaPhyllonorycter salicifoliella

Orange Tortrix Moth Argyrotaenia franciscanaArgyrotaenia franciscana

Clay-colored Agonopterix Moth Agonopterix argillaceaAgonopterix argillacea

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun

Moisture

Moderate - High

Summer Irrigation

Keep moist

Nurseries

Carried by 37

Ease of Care

Very Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to -15° F

Soil Drainage

Slow, Standing

Soil Description

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

Common uses

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

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

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?

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

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

Shores, marshes, meadows, springs, other moist areas

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

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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

Arroyo Willow

Salix lasiolepis

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Arroyo WillowSalix lasiolepis

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Arroyo Willow

Salix lasiolepis