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Red Willow
Scientific Name:
Salix laevigata
Type:
Tree
Habitat:
Forest, stream banks
Range:
Native to the western United States
Status:
Least Concern (IUCN Red List)
This species is
NATIVE
to the Truckee Meadows.
Identification:
Red willows grow at a rapid rate and can reach over 50 feet tall. They have short narrow yellow-green leaves that can grow up to four inches long. The trunk of the tree is usually grey but can change into a reddish color as it ages. The branches along red willows are slim and reddish colored. These trees can often contain catkins that range from a yellow to white color.
Fast Facts:
Red willows have been recognized by ecologists for the large number of bees it attracts.
Red willows support conservation biological control by attracting ants and aphids.
Sources:
United States Department of Agriculture, Salix Laevigata, 2014, https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=SALA3
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Salix Laevigata, 2007, https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SALA3
Red List, Salix Laevigata, 2018, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/153758606/181464346#assessment-information
iNaturalist, Red Willow, 2021, https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=97394&subview=table&taxon_id=58319
Contributor(s):
Crystal Sutton (research & content)
Alex Shahbazi (edits & page design)
Last Updated:
June 30, 2021 at 6:29:16 PM
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