Salix boothii
Booth's willow
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Salicaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Salix boothii (Booth's willow) is a native California shrub in the Salicaceae family, recognized by dark brown bracts and wavy hairs are key.
Booth's willow is a native shrub found in the Klamath Ranges, high Cascade Range, northern and eastern Sierra Nevada, Warner Mountains, and eastern Sierra Nevada in wet subalpine meadows and shorelines at elevations of 1,525 to 3,200 meters. Flowering from April to July, this willow produces delicate flowers in catkins that emerge before or with the leaves. Growing up to 6 meters tall with twigs ranging from yellow-brown to red-brown, it develops a distinctive shaggy or smooth stem texture. Its leaves are uniquely strap-shaped to broadly elliptic, measuring 26 to 102 millimeters long, with white or white and rusty soft shaggy hairs on the underside and edges that may be entire or finely serrated. The shrub has leaf-like stipules and distinctive gland-dotted leaf margins, creating a complex and textured appearance in alpine and subalpine landscapes.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 22 sympatric species; dark brown bracts and wavy hairs are key
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Wet subalpine meadows, shores
Elevation: 1525-3200 m
California counties: Mono, Inyo, Fresno, Alpine, Tulare, Siskiyou, Butte, Shasta, Modoc, Plumas, Sierra, El Dorado, Lassen, Tuolumne, Trinity, Humboldt, Tehama
Outside California: to western Canada, Colorado
Bloom period
Salix boothii blooms Apr-Jul.
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 boothii native to California?
Yes. Salix boothii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Salix boothii bloom?
Salix boothii blooms Apr-Jul.
Where in California does Salix boothii grow?
Salix boothii occurs in Mono, Inyo, Fresno, Alpine, Tulare, Siskiyou, Butte, Shasta and other counties, at elevations of 1525-3200 m.
What plant family does Salix boothii belong to?
Salix boothii is in the Salicaceae family, genus Salix.
What habitat does Salix boothii grow in?
Salix boothii grows in Uncommon. Wet subalpine meadows, shores.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
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.