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Salix sessilifolia

Salix sessilifolia Nutt.

Northwest Sandbar Willow, River Willow, Northwest Willow, Sandbar Willow, Longleaf Willow

Salicaceae (Willow Family)

Synonym(s): Salix exigua var. sessilifolia, Salix fluviatilis, Salix fluviatilis var. sessilifolia, Salix longifolia var. sessilifolia, Salix macrostachya, Salix macrostachya var. cusickii, Salix sessilifolia var. villosa

USDA Symbol: SASE3

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

Handsome shrub or small tree with distinctive, soft, whitish, velvety-hairy twigs, foliage, and flowers.

Northwest Willow is very showy in spring when the whitish blossoms are abundant. The scientific name means "stalkless leaves." It was discovered near the mouth of the Willamette River and named by Thomas Nuttall (1786-1859), the British-American botanist.

From the Image Gallery

No images of this plant

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 15 feet tall.
Leaf: Yellow-Green

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Green
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul

Distribution

USA: OR , WA
Canada: BC
Native Distribution: SW. Washington and NW. Oregon only; near sea level.
Native Habitat: Banks of Columbia River from the mouth of the Deschutes River to the lower Willamette River.

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Part Shade
CaCO3 Tolerance: High

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:										FACW

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Web Reference

Webref 62 - Burke Herbarium Image Collection (2020) University of Washington
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Salix sessilifolia in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Salix sessilifolia in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Salix sessilifolia

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-05-16
Research By: TWC Staff

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