Salix exigua
Narrow leaved willow
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Salicaceae · Type: Shrub / Tree · Native
Salix exigua (Narrow leaved willow) is a native California shrub / tree in the Salicaceae family.
Narrow leaved willow is a California native shrub found in riparian and wetland habitats throughout western North American mountain and valley regions at elevations ranging from low to mid-elevation zones. Flowering in spring, this plant produces small yellowish catkins with delicate, narrow flowers. Growing as a clonal shrub up to 5 meters tall with yellow to red-brown twigs, it spreads extensively through root-shoots. Its leaves are distinctive, featuring long linear blades 30 to 147 millimeters in length, with wedge-shaped bases and slightly serrated edges. The plant forms dense thickets in moist environments, with flexible stems and narrow, strap-shaped leaves that provide important habitat and erosion control in stream and riverine ecosystems.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; parent taxon with unclear range
Habitat and range
California counties: Kern, Inyo, Ventura, Sacramento, Riverside, San Bernardino, Modoc, San Diego, Los Angeles, Lassen, Santa Barbara, Orange, Siskiyou, Butte, Placer, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Mono, Lake, Imperial, Napa, Mendocino, Tulare, Fresno, Tehama, Humboldt, Alameda, Nevada, Sonoma, Tuolumne, Merced, Plumas, Monterey, El Dorado, San Benito, Yolo, Marin, Contra Costa, Stanislaus, Del Norte, Sutter, Madera, San Mateo, Trinity, Santa Clara, Solano, Mariposa, Alpine, Calaveras, Santa Cruz, Sierra, Kings, Colusa, Glenn, Yuba, San Francisco, Shasta
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 exigua native to California?
Yes. Salix exigua is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Salix exigua grow?
Salix exigua occurs in Kern, Inyo, Ventura, Sacramento, Riverside, San Bernardino, Modoc, San Diego and other counties.
What plant family does Salix exigua belong to?
Salix exigua is in the Salicaceae family, genus Salix.
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.