Salix lasiandra
Pacific willow
(c) Ed Alverson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Salicaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Salix lasiandra (Pacific willow) is a native California shrub in the Salicaceae family.
Pacific willow is a California native shrub found in riparian and wetland habitats across various western bioregions at elevations ranging from low to mid-elevation zones. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces yellow to green catkins with delicate, elongated flowers. Growing as a multi-stemmed shrub or small tree reaching 3 to 11 meters tall, it develops flexible branches that are yellow-, gray-, or red-brown in color. Its leaves are distinctively lanceolate, 5 to 17 centimeters long, with finely serrated edges and a tapered tip, featuring leaf-like stipules with noticeable glands along the petiole. In mature stands, Pacific willow forms dense thickets with branches that can be brittle at the base, creating important habitat and stabilization in riparian ecosystems.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; parent taxon with unclear range
Habitat and range
California counties: Humboldt, Siskiyou, Los Angeles, Kern, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Tulare, Orange, Mono, Modoc, El Dorado, Yolo, Sierra, San Mateo, Sonoma, Del Norte, Lassen, Lake, Trinity, Mendocino, Butte, Glenn, Placer, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Marin, Mariposa, Tuolumne, Alameda, Plumas, Fresno, Sacramento, Riverside
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 lasiandra native to California?
Yes. Salix lasiandra is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Salix lasiandra grow?
Salix lasiandra occurs in Humboldt, Siskiyou, Los Angeles, Kern, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Tulare and other counties.
What plant family does Salix lasiandra belong to?
Salix lasiandra 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 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.