Salix delnortensis

Del norte willow, Del Norte Willow

Family: Salicaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.3

Del norte willow is a California native shrub ranked 4.3 by CNPS, found in the northwestern Klamath Ranges near Gasquet in Del Norte County along serpentine banks of rivers and streams at elevations of 90 to 500 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces delicate flowers on shoots that emerge before its leaves. Growing less than 2 meters tall with twigs that are red or yellow-brown and notably brittle at the base, it develops a distinctive velvety texture on young stems and leaves. Its elliptic to obovate leaves are 53 to 102 millimeters long, with a slightly convex base and edges that curl under, covered in soft, fine hairs that give the foliage a soft, silvery appearance. The plant's mature stems become glabrous with age, and its leaves feature later stipules that resemble additional leaf structures.

Habitat: Serpentine banks of rivers, streams

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: 90-500 m

Bioregions: nw KR (near Gasquet, Del Norte Co.)

California counties: Del Norte, Siskiyou, Mendocino

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.