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Pacific willow · Salix lasiandra (Salix lucida spp. Lasiandra)

Description: A deciduous shrub or small tree to 30 and up to 60 feet tall. Leaves are shiny, long and narrow, to 15 cm long, with a tapered tip. Catkins appear after leaves have expanded in spring. Pacific willow can be found in much of western North America from California to Alaska. In Oregon, it grows on both sides of the Cascades along streambanks, in swamps and marshy thickets.The native plant gardener will appreciate its tolerance for wet and dry conditions, as well as its wildlife values. As with many other willows, it helps control erosion and shades fish habitat when planted near water, its stems and foliage are enjoyed by deer and rabbits, small game-birds and songbirds eat the catkins and buds and the insects that live among the leaves and branches, butterflies and bees enjoy its nectar, and some native butterfly larvae use willows as their host plant. Sun, regular water.