Salix gooddingii
Goodding's black willow
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Salicaceae · Type: Tree · Native
Salix gooddingii (Goodding's black willow) is a native California tree in the Salicaceae family, recognized by 4-6 stamens diagnostic among California willows.
Goodding's black willow is a California native shrub or tree found in the central California valleys, San Joaquin Valley, Sierra Nevada foothills, coastal southern California, Peninsular Ranges, Great Basin, and desert regions, particularly common in streamsides, marshes, and washes at elevations of 20 to 500 meters. Flowering from March to April, this plant produces small yellow catkins on leafy shoots. Growing up to 30 meters tall with yellow or yellow-green twigs that are velvety when young and becoming brittle at the base, it develops distinctive white-hairy young leaves. Its leaves are linear to narrowly elliptic, 7 to 13 centimeters long, with finely serrated edges and wedge-shaped bases. The tree produces both staminate and pistillate flowers, with stamens arranged in clusters and ovaries that may be glabrous or slightly hairy.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 22 sympatric species; 4-6 stamens diagnostic among California willows
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Streamsides, marshes, seepage areas, washes, meadows
Elevation: 20-2500 (generally < 500) m
California counties: Riverside, Orange, Kern, Shasta, San Bernardino, Imperial, Tulare, Sonoma, San Diego, Butte, Los Angeles, Mono, Tuolumne, Modoc, San Luis Obispo, Lake, Inyo, Nevada, Fresno, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Contra Costa, Stanislaus, Yolo, Tehama, San Joaquin, Merced, El Dorado, Calaveras, Mariposa, Placer, Plumas, Amador, Sutter, San Mateo, Solano, Santa Clara, Sacramento, Colusa, Kings, Yuba, Glenn, Napa, Lassen, Trinity, Alameda
Outside California: to Texas, Mexico
Bloom period
Salix gooddingii blooms Mar-Apr.
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 gooddingii native to California?
Yes. Salix gooddingii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Salix gooddingii bloom?
Salix gooddingii blooms Mar-Apr.
Where in California does Salix gooddingii grow?
Salix gooddingii occurs in Riverside, Orange, Kern, Shasta, San Bernardino, Imperial, Tulare, Sonoma and other counties, at elevations of 20-2500 (generally < 500) m.
What plant family does Salix gooddingii belong to?
Salix gooddingii is in the Salicaceae family, genus Salix.
What habitat does Salix gooddingii grow in?
Salix gooddingii grows in Common. Streamsides, marshes, seepage areas, washes, meadows.
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.