Salix ligulifolia
Strap-leafed willow
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Family: Salicaceae · Type: Shrub / Tree · Native
Salix ligulifolia (Strap-leafed willow) is a native California shrub / tree in the Salicaceae family, recognized by gland-dotted margins and leaf-like stipules key.
Strap-leafed willow is a California native shrub found in the Klamath Ranges, northern High Sierra Nevada, Sierra Nevada, and Warner Mountains along rivers and streams at elevations of 1,100 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces yellow-green flowers with delicate bracts and small brown flower clusters. Growing up to 8 meters tall with yellow-green or brown twigs that can be glabrous or long-shaggy-hairy, it has a distinctive shrubby form. Its strap-shaped to narrowly elliptic leaves measure 60 to 133 millimeters long, with gland-dotted or finely serrate margins and sparse short-silky undersides. The shrub produces unique leaf-like stipules with rounded to pointed tips, adding to its distinctive botanical character.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 24 sympatric species; gland-dotted margins and leaf-like stipules key
Habitat and range
Habitat: Rivers, streams
Elevation: 1100-2500 m
Outside California: to Idaho, Wyoming, New Mexico
Bloom period
Salix ligulifolia blooms Mar-Jun.
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 ligulifolia native to California?
Yes. Salix ligulifolia is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Salix ligulifolia bloom?
Salix ligulifolia blooms Mar-Jun.
What plant family does Salix ligulifolia belong to?
Salix ligulifolia is in the Salicaceae family, genus Salix.
What habitat does Salix ligulifolia grow in?
Salix ligulifolia grows in Rivers, streams.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.