Tail-leaf willow – description, flowering period and general distribution in Minnesota. One beautiful catkin, close up

Tail-leaf willow – description, flowering period and general distribution in Minnesota. The plant is covered with catkins that are already fading.

Tail-leaf willow – description, flowering period and general distribution in Minnesota. Flowering plant

Tail-leaf willow – description, flowering period and general distribution in Minnesota. Green leaves, characteristic shape

Common name:

Tail-leaf willow

Scientific name:

Salix lucida.

Other common name(s):

Shining willow, Greenleaf willow, Tail-leaf willow, Whiplash willow, Pacific willow, Lance-leaf willow, Longleaf willow, Red willow, Western shining willow.

Life form:

Tree-shrub.

Flowering time:

no data.

Flowering period

in Minnesota for this plant is: Late March ↔ June.

NECTAR PRODUCTION:

No data

SOURCE FOR HONEY BEES:

Minor

General distribution:

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.

Map of distribution and habitat in USA

This plant is present in at least 48 states/provinces in this country.

See The Map

Botanical description:

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.

Seasonal development:

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.

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List of honey plants that may be blooming now in Minnesota

See the entire list

Acer saccharinum (aka: Silver maple, Soft maple)

Ulmus americana (aka: American elm, White elm, Water elm, Soft elm, Florida elm)

Acer negundo (aka: Boxelder, Western boxelder, Arizona boxelder, California boxelder, Texas boxelder, Interior boxelder, Violet boxelder)

Salix nigra (aka: Black willow, Swamp willow, Southwestern black willow, Gulf black willow, Scythe-leaved willow)

Salix lucida (aka: Shining willow, Greenleaf willow, Tail-leaf willow, Whiplash willow, Pacific willow, Lance-leaf willow, Longleaf willow, Red willow, Western shining willow)

Amelanchier arborea (aka: Common serviceberry, Downy serviceberry, Juneberry, Shadbush, Shadblow, Sugarplum)

Malus domestica (aka: Pyrus pumila, Malus pumila, Apple)

Crataegus douglasii (aka: Black hawthorn, Douglas hawthorn, River hawthorn, Western thornapple)

Acer saccharum (aka: Sugar maple, Rock maple, Hard maple)

Prunus americana (aka: American plum, Goose plum, River plum, Wild plum)

Populus tremuloides (aka: Quaking aspen, Trembling aspen, Aspen, American aspen, Mountain aspen, Golden aspen, Trembling poplar, White poplar, Popple, Alamo Blanco)

Prunus pumila (aka: Sandcherry, Western sandcherry, Eastern sandcherry, Great Lakes sandcherry)

Salix bebbiana (aka: Bebb willow, Beak willow, Beaked willow, Long-beaked willow, Diamond willow, Chaton, Petit Minou, Smooth Bebb willow)

Salix discolor (aka: Pussy willow, American pussy willow, Glaucous willow, Large pussy willow)

Acer rubrum (aka: Red maple, Scarlet maple)

Acer platanoides (aka: Norway maple)

Salix lutea (aka: Yellow willow)