Salix exigua var. hindsiana
Hinds' willow, Hinds' Willow
Photo: parent species Salix exigua · Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Salicaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Salix exigua var. hindsiana (Hinds' willow) is a native California shrub in the Salicaceae family, recognized by floodplain habitat and stigma shape distinctive.
Hinds' willow is a California native shrub found in northwestern, Great Valley, central western, and southwestern California on floodplains and sandy gravel at elevations below 640 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces delicate, soft catkins with silky hairs. Growing with flexible stems that spread in dense thickets near water sources, it forms low to medium-height shrub clusters. Its leaves have soft, long hairs on the undersides, with petioles covered in fine, wavy hairs that give the foliage a silky, delicate appearance. The slender fruit capsules develop 3 to 4.5 millimeters long, typical of willow species in riparian environments.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 22 sympatric species; floodplain habitat and stigma shape distinctive
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Floodplains, sandy gravel
Elevation: < 640 m
California counties: Los Angeles, Ventura, Butte, San Diego, Riverside, Yolo, Stanislaus, Monterey, Siskiyou, Sutter, Trinity, Fresno, Kings, Shasta, Plumas, Tehama, Mendocino, Inyo, Humboldt, San Bernardino, Sonoma, Napa, Alameda, Nevada, Santa Clara, Tulare, Orange, Mono, Marin, Tuolumne, Colusa, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Mariposa, El Dorado, San Francisco, Kern, Lake, Modoc, Sacramento, Santa Barbara, Amador, Glenn, Solano, Merced, San Benito, Lassen, San Mateo, Del Norte, Madera, Alpine, Sierra
Outside California: southwestern Oregon
Bloom period
Salix exigua var. hindsiana blooms Apr-May.
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 var. hindsiana native to California?
Yes. Salix exigua var. hindsiana is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Salix exigua var. hindsiana bloom?
Salix exigua var. hindsiana blooms Apr-May.
Where in California does Salix exigua var. hindsiana grow?
Salix exigua var. hindsiana occurs in Los Angeles, Ventura, Butte, San Diego, Riverside, Yolo, Stanislaus, Monterey and other counties, at elevations of < 640 m.
What plant family does Salix exigua var. hindsiana belong to?
Salix exigua var. hindsiana is in the Salicaceae family, genus Salix.
What habitat does Salix exigua var. hindsiana grow in?
Salix exigua var. hindsiana grows in Common. Floodplains, sandy gravel.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.