Pussy Willow (Salix discolor)

The Pussy Willow (Salix discolor) has always been somewhat of a popular Willow in terms of landscaping and cultivation. The soft, fuzzy immature catkins which begin to emerge in late March have been long recognized as a sight to behold. Dried Pussy Willow twigs are often sold in bunches at many garden centres and florist shops.

This species is indeed native to southern Ontario, and in some regions is particularly abundant! Pussy Willows are tall shrubs or small trees, and commonly have several trunks emerging from around a main stem. Unlike Sandbar Willow (Salix exigua), Pussy Willow does not spread and form colonies from underground roots. Like all other Willows, this tree does love to have its feet wet!

Similar to the Beaked Willow (Salix bebbiana) this is another one of the broad leaved species of Willow. Beaked Willow leaves are smooth, while Pussy Willow leaves are downy and soft to the touch, as well as almost half the size of regular Beaked Willow leaves. The edges of Pussy Willow leaves are smooth or very finely toothed, while Beaked Willow leaves are always obviously serrated.

A cluster of Pussy Willow leaves. The upper surfaces are shiny, but they are indeed covered in tiny, soft hairs that gives the leaves, stems and young twigs a whitish appearance. Very luxurious!

The leaves can be somewhat narrower, but by most standards can still be considered broader than most other Willow species. The tip is blunt and pointed, and the base wedge shaped.

The leaf undersides are even paler in color and hairier! Note the smooth margins.

Young twigs are smooth and grey.

Suckers and fast growing stems are tinged green!

Older bark is also smooth and grey.

Near the bole of older trees, the trunk splits and forms these shallow cracked ridges. This is often only found on the central trunk of the tree which is the oldest.

Sandbar Willow (Salix exigua)

The Sandbar Willow (Salix exigua) is also sometimes known as Narrowleaf Willow. Although it is commonplace for one to assume that all Willow species leaves are narrow, this is a generization and is not always the case! Sandbar Willow leaves are, still, exceptionally narrow and thin when compared to other native species.

Sandbar Willow gets its name based on the trees ability to take firm root in sandy floodplains directly bordering streams and creeks. They play an important role in stabilizing the soil and preventing erosion. Often, their roots dangle freely in the flow of water and act as a nursery for insects, their young, fish.

Here is a cluster of leaves in the Spring, they are yet to expand to their full length. Note the slowly tappered point, wedge shaped base, and that occasionally the finely serrated teeth are only present on the last half of the leaf length, this is characeristic of Sandbar Willow. This feature is not always present, but when it is, it is definitive.

Another very long, narrow leaf.

Very, VERY narrow!

Vigerously growing stems are often tinged yellowish green.

Bark is smooth, and greenish grey.

Mature mature bark remains grey, but becomes slightly bumpy in texture and occasionally forms shallow ridges near the bole. Trees are often multi-trunked and spread vegetatively by continually send up shoots from their roots surrounding the main trunk.

Beaked Willow (Salix bebbiana)

The Willow genus (Salix) which is a member of the Salicaceae (Poplar) family, is an incredibly variable and amazingly successful genus, boasting a very long list of species. Willows are also notoriously difficult to diffentiate from one another, as characteristics change and overlap between species frequently. After long hours in the field and performing investigative research, I am able to positively identify some Willow species!

This first species is known as Beaked Willow (Salix bebbiana) which is also sometimes called Bebb Willow (presumably named after Bebb?) This Willow rarely reaches tree-size, and tends to stay quite low to the ground, often as a shrub.

The leaves are broadly elliptical in shape, with a wedge-shaped base and a quickly tapered point. Most Willow tree leaves are narrow, but on this species the leaves are broad. The upper surface is glossy smooth, and the underside pale but still smooth.

Another leaf shot. Some other Willow leaves are also broad, but these are the fattest Willow leaves around here! They somewhat look like Nannyberry (Viburnam lentago) but Nannyberry leaves grow oppositely, while this Willow species, as well as all others, have alternate growing leaves.

Young bark is light grey and smooth. Plants are multi-trunked the majority of the time and spread from underground roots to form thickets.