Salix bebbiana
Bebb's willow
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Family: Salicaceae · Type: Shrub / Tree · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3
Salix bebbiana (Bebb's willow) is a native California shrub / tree in the Salicaceae family, recognized by long-beaked ovary and wavy hairs.
Bebb's willow is a California native shrub found in northern Modoc Plateau regions around Lower Klamath Lake and Goose Lake in streamsides and lakeshores at elevations of 1,000 to 1,400 meters. Flowering from April to June, this willow produces small flowers with tan bracts on leafy shoots. Growing as a small tree or shrub up to 10 meters tall with widely spreading yellow-green or red-brown twigs that are soft and shaggy-hairy, it develops a distinctive growth form. Its leaves are elliptic to narrowly obovate, 20 to 87 millimeters long, with a convex to wedge-shaped base and margins that are entire to slightly crenate, featuring long silky hairs on the veins. In mature specimens, the leaves become wavy with a tomentose or silky underside, giving the plant a soft, textured appearance.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 14 sympatric species; key features are long-beaked ovary and wavy hairs
Habitat and range
Habitat: Streamsides, lakeshores
Elevation: 1000-1400 m
California counties: Modoc, Siskiyou
Outside California: to Alaska, eastern North America, New Mexico
Bloom period
Salix bebbiana blooms Apr-Jun.
Conservation status
CNPS 2B.3
How to tell it apart
vs Umbellularia: Willows have narrow leaves with no scent; crush bay laurel leaf for intense spicy aroma.; vs Baccharis: Willows have catkins; baccharis has fuzzy white seed heads and resinous stems.; vs Acacia: Willow leaves have one central vein; acacia leaves are compound with many small leaflets or modified into flat phyllodes.; vs Quercus: Willows have narrow flexible leaves; oaks have broader stiff leaves and produce acorns.; vs Schinus: Willow leaves are simple; pepper tree has compound leaves with 15-40 leaflets and peppery-scented crushed foliage.
Frequently asked questions
Is Salix bebbiana native to California?
Yes. Salix bebbiana is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Salix bebbiana bloom?
Salix bebbiana blooms Apr-Jun.
Where in California does Salix bebbiana grow?
Salix bebbiana occurs in Modoc, Siskiyou, at elevations of 1000-1400 m.
What plant family does Salix bebbiana belong to?
Salix bebbiana is in the Salicaceae family, genus Salix.
Is Salix bebbiana rare or endangered?
Salix bebbiana carries California Rare Plant Rank 2B.3, state rank S2S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.