General: Arroyo Willow (Salix lasiolepis) is a shrubby tree that grows to about 20 feet tall. The leaves are long (35- to 125-mm) and narrow (10- to 15-mm-wide). The underside of the leaf is white-hairy and the edges are slightly rolled under. Catkins produce cottony material that catch the wind and carry seeds away.

In our area, Gooding's Willow is a tall tree, Narrowleaf (Coyote) Willow has very long, very narrow leaves, and Arroyo Willow has long and relatively broad leaves.

Arroyo Willow is an uncommon component of vegetation communities in wet areas from the Upper Sonoran (Mojave Desert Scrub) life zone to the Transition (Yellow Pine) life zone.

Family: Willow (Salicaceae).

Other Names:

Plant Form: Shrubby tree or upright shrub.

Height: To about 20 feet.

Trunk: Single to several.

Bark: Gray with cracks and furrows.

Stems: Yellow-green to red-brown with none to various amounts of hair.

Leaves: Broadly lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, to about 5 inches long, glaucous or white-hairy under especially when fresh. Leaf blades less than 8 times the width. Leaf margin entire, rolled under. Petioles without glands. Leaves alternate. Upper surface glossy.

Flowers: Blooms spring and early summer. Inflorescence: catkin.

Seeds: Attached to a cottony mass that carries the seeds on the wind.

Habitat: Areas with water: streams, washes, seeps, springs.

Elevation: To about 9,000 feet.

Distribution: Western North America to central Mexico.

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