Salix scouleriana
Scouler's willow, Scouler's Willow
(c) Matt Benotsch, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Salicaceae · Type: Shrub / Tree · Native
Salix scouleriana (Scouler's willow) is a native California shrub / tree in the Salicaceae family, recognized by but distinctive strongly rolled leaf margins and dense abaxial pubescence.
Scouler's willow is a native shrub found in northwestern California, the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, northern coastal California, San Francisco Bay Area, San Gabriel Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains, San Jacinto Mountains, and Great Basin in dry to moist forest, meadow, and swamp habitats at elevations of 1 to 3,400 meters. Flowering from February to June, this plant produces yellow-green catkins on leafy shoots with dark brown flower bracts. Growing as a slender tree or shrub up to 10 meters tall with yellow-green or brown twigs that are sparsely hairy to densely velvety. Its leaves are obovate to narrowly elliptic, 29 to 100 millimeters long, with edges that are often strongly rolled under and covered in white or white and rusty silky hairs. The plant produces pistillate flowers with silky ovaries and staminate flowers with two stamens.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 29 sympatric species but distinctive strongly rolled leaf margins and dense abaxial pubescence
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Dry to moist forest, meadows, springs, swamps
Elevation: 1-3400 m
California counties: Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Sonoma, Santa Clara, Sierra, El Dorado, Mono, Tulare, Siskiyou, Madera, Plumas, Fresno, Mendocino, Humboldt, Inyo, Mariposa, Riverside, Lassen, Nevada, Placer, San Mateo, Alameda, Monterey, Butte, Amador, Tehama, Shasta, Del Norte, Lake, Modoc, Kern, San Francisco, Calaveras, Santa Barbara, Trinity, Marin, Santa Cruz, Tuolumne, Napa, Alpine, Solano, Contra Costa
Outside California: to Alaska, Saskatchewan, New Mexico, northern Mexico
Bloom period
Salix scouleriana blooms Feb-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 scouleriana native to California?
Yes. Salix scouleriana is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Salix scouleriana bloom?
Salix scouleriana blooms Feb-Jun.
Where in California does Salix scouleriana grow?
Salix scouleriana occurs in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Sonoma, Santa Clara, Sierra, El Dorado, Mono, Tulare and other counties, at elevations of 1-3400 m.
What plant family does Salix scouleriana belong to?
Salix scouleriana is in the Salicaceae family, genus Salix.
What habitat does Salix scouleriana grow in?
Salix scouleriana grows in Common. Dry to moist forest, meadows, springs, swamps.
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.