Salix hookeriana

Coastal willow

Family: Salicaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Coastal willow is a California native shrub found in northern coastal regions including Sonoma County, growing in coastal dunes, floodplains, and meadows at elevations from sea level to 1,000 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces small, delicate catkins with dark brown flower bracts. Growing as a compact shrub or small tree up to 8 meters tall, it develops twigs that range from gray to red or yellow-brown with a distinctive glaucous surface. Its leaves are elliptic to broadly obovate, measuring 46 to 113 millimeters long, with a varied texture ranging from white-hairy to rusty-white and featuring entire or finely serrated edges. Young specimens display particularly charming white or white-and-rusty hairy leaves that add visual interest to this coastal landscape plant.

Habitat: Coastal dunes, floodplains, meadows

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: < 100, 500-1000 m

Bioregions: NCo, n NCoRO, CaRF, n CCo (Sonoma Co.)

California counties: Humboldt, Mendocino, Del Norte, Marin, Tehama, Shasta, Sonoma

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