According to observations of naturalists and beekeepers.
Where are you?
Shining willow is distributed from Alaska east to Labrador and south to California, Kansas, and North Carolina. It is mostly absent from dry interior regions of the Intermountain West.
This plant is present in at least 48 states/provinces in this country.
Shining willow is a deciduous small tree or tall shrub, occasionally growing up to 40 feet (12 m) tall. It typically has several stems, becoming increasingly shrubby with increasing elevation. The bark is smooth and thin, and the bole and branches are brittle. Twigs are relatively stout. It has lanceolate leaves that are 2 to 5 inches (5-13 cm) long. Shining willow is dioecious, so individual trees bear either pistillate or staminate catkins. The fruit is a hairless capsule, but the seed coat is covered with soft, cottony hairs. The typical variety differs from tail-leaf willow by having glaucous undersides to the leaves.
Shining willow flowers from late March to late June across its range; leaves appear with the catkins. Seeds disperse in late spring to early summer, depending on elevation and latitude. The dispersal period is usually for ≤1 month.
Salix lucida (aka: Shining willow, Greenleaf willow, Tail-leaf willow, Whiplash willow, Pacific willow, Lance-leaf willow, Longleaf willow, Red willow, Western shining willow)
Rubus spectabilis (aka: Salmonberry)
Salix scouleriana (aka: Scouler's willow, Upland willow)
Acer circinatum (aka: Vine maple)
Prunus emarginata (aka: Bitter cherry)
Malus fusca (aka: Oregon crab, Oregon crab apple, Pacific crab apple, Western crab apple)
Salix arbusculoides (aka: Littletree willow)
Salix bebbiana (aka: Bebb willow, Beak willow, Beaked willow, Long-beaked willow, Diamond willow, Chaton, Petit Minou, Smooth Bebb willow)
Acer macrophyllum (aka: Bigleaf maple, Big-leaf maple, Oregon maple)
Acer platanoides (aka: Norway maple)
Rubus ursinus (aka: California blackberry, California dewberry, California grapeleaf dewberry, Douglasberry, Pacific blackberry)
Salix amygdaloides (aka: Peachleaf willow, Peach leaf willow)
Salix boothii (aka: Booth's willow)
Robinia pseudoacacia (aka: Black locust, False acacia, Yellow locust, White locust, Green locust, Post locust, Falsa acacia, Robinia)
Salix lemmonii (aka: Lemmon's willow, Lemmon willow)
Salix planifolia (aka: Diamondleaf willow, Planeleaf willow)
Salix pulchra (aka: Tealeaf willow, Flatleaf willow, Flat-leaved willow, Paneleaf willow, Thin red willow)
Ajuga reptans (aka: Bugle, Blue bugle, Bugleherb, Bugleweed, Carpetweed, Carpet bugleweed, Common bugle, St. Lawrence plant)
Astragalus (aka: Milkvetch, Locoweed, Goat's-thorn)
Rubus laciniatus (aka: Cutleaf blackberry, Evergreen blackberry, Slashed blackberry)
Salix alaxensis (aka: Feltleaf willow, Alaska willow)
Salix geyeriana (aka: Geyer willow, Silver willow)
Rhus glabra (aka: Smooth sumac, Common sumac, Rocky Mountain sumac, Red sumac, Western sumac, White sumac)
Salix richardsonii (aka: Richardson's willow, Woolly willow)
Allium schoenoprasum (aka: Chives)
Brassica napus (aka: Rapeseed)
Sinapis arvensis (aka: Charlock mustard, California rape, Charlock, Corn mustard, Canola, Kaber mustard, Rapeseed mustard)
Prunus pensylvanica (aka: Pin cherry, Fire cherry, Bird cherry)
Calendula officinalis (aka: Marigold, Calendula, Pot marigold, English marigold)
Prunus virginiana (aka: Chokecherry, Western chokecherry, Common chokecherry, Black chokecherry)
Prunus serotina (aka: Black cherry, Wild black cherry, Rum cherry, Mountain black cherry, Wild cherry)
Salix myrtillifolia (aka: Blueberry willow, Low blueberry willow, Tall blueberry willow)
Vaccinium corymbosum (aka: Highbush blueberry, High-bush blueberry, Northern highbush blueberry, Tall blueberry, Rabbiteye blueberry, Blue huckleberry, Tall huckleberry, Swamp huckleberry, High blueberry, Swamp blueberry)
Salix glauca (aka: Grayleaf willow, Gray willow, Gray-leaved willow)
Salix brachycarpa (aka: Shortfruit willow, Barren-ground willow, Small-fruit sand dune willow, Small-fruit willow)
Rubus idaeus (aka: Raspberry, Black-haired red raspberry, Brilliant red raspberry, American red raspberry, Red raspberry, Smoothleaf red raspberry, Wild raspberry, Wild red raspberry, Grayleaf raspberry)
Rubus parviflorus (aka: Thimbleberry, Western thimbleberry)
Rubus armeniacus (aka: Himalayan blackberry, Rubus discolor, Rubus procerus)
Brassica rapa (aka: Field mustard, Common mustard, Wild mustard, Wild turnip, Forage turnip, Wild rutabaga, Birdsrape mustard, Rape mustard)
Echium vulgare (aka: Viper's bugloss, Blueweed, Blue thistle)
Chamaenerion angustifolium (aka: Fireweed, Great willowherb, Rosebay willowherb, Saint Anthony's Laurel, French-willow)
Agastache foeniculum (aka: Giant hyssop, Blue giant hyssop, Anise hyssop, Fragrant giant hyssop, Lavender giant hyssop)
Borago officinalis (aka: Borage, Starflower, Common borage, Cool-tankard, Tailwort)
Rubus chamaemorus (aka: Cloudberry, Bake apple, Baked apple berry, Bakeapple, Nordic berry, Knotberry, Aqpik, Low-bush salmonberry, Averin, Evron)
Cirsium arvense (aka: Creeping Thistle, Canada thistle, Field thistle, California thistle, Lettuce from hell thistle, Corn thistle, Cursed thistle, Green thistle, Hard thistle, Perennial thistle, Prickly thistle, Small-flowered thistle, Way thistle, Stinger-needles)
