According to observations of naturalists and beekeepers.
Where are you?
Yellow willow is found at low to mid-elevations from Alberta to Manitoba, south to western Kansas and New Mexico, west to Arizona and California, and north along the Sierra Nevada Mountains to eastern Washington. It is lacking in the Great Basin.
This plant is present in at least 21 states/provinces in this country.
Yellow willow is a deciduous shrub, or rarely, a small tree up to 23 feet (7 m) tall, with stems diameters up to 8 inches (20 cm). The silvery-gray bark of older twigs distinguishes it from many closely related willows. The leaves are alternate, simple, pinnately veined, mostly lanceolate, with finely serrate margins, dark green to yellow-green above and pale or glaucus beneath, with conspicuous stipules usually present. Male and female flowers occur on separate plants as catkins. Staminate catkins are .8-2 inches (2-5 cm) long, and pistillate catkins are .8-2.7 inches (2-7 cm) long, but mostly under 1.5 inches (4 cm).
Yellow willow is a deciduous shrub or rarely small tree. Its catkins emerge before and with the leaves in the spring. After fruits ripen, seeds are dispersed from spring to early summer.
Cercis orbiculata (aka: California redbud, Western redbud, Arizona redbud, Judas tree, Cercis occidentalis)
Salix gooddingii (aka: Goodding's willow, Dudley willow, Valley willow, Western black willow)
Malus sylvestris (aka: European crab apple, Common apple, Wild apple)
Prunus armeniaca (aka: Armenian plum, Ansu apricot, Siberian apricot, Tibetan apricot, Apricot tree)
Acer negundo (aka: Boxelder, Western boxelder, Arizona boxelder, California boxelder, Texas boxelder, Interior boxelder, Violet boxelder)
Prunus americana (aka: American plum, Goose plum, River plum, Wild plum)
Pyrus communis (aka: European pear, Common pear)
Celtis laevigata (aka: Hackberry, Sugarberry, Lowland hackberry, Sugar hackberry, Arizona sugarberry, Netleaf hackberry, Small's hackberry, Southern hackberry, Texas sugarberry)
Acer glabrum (aka: Rocky Mountain maple, Douglas maple, Greene's maple, New Mexico maple, Torrey maple)
Salix lucida (aka: Shining willow, Greenleaf willow, Tail-leaf willow, Whiplash willow, Pacific willow, Lance-leaf willow, Longleaf willow, Red willow, Western shining willow)
Malus domestica (aka: Pyrus pumila, Malus pumila, Apple)
Prunus cerasus (aka: Sour cherry, Tart cherry, Dwarf cherry, Montmorency cherry)
Acer grandidentatum (aka: Bigtooth maple, Canyon maple, Western sugar maple)
Salix exigua (aka: Narrowleaf willow, Coyote willow)
Populus tremuloides (aka: Quaking aspen, Trembling aspen, Aspen, American aspen, Mountain aspen, Golden aspen, Trembling poplar, White poplar, Popple, Alamo Blanco)
Salix lutea (aka: Yellow willow)
Salix scouleriana (aka: Scouler's willow, Upland willow)
Prunus pumila (aka: Sandcherry, Western sandcherry, Eastern sandcherry, Great Lakes sandcherry)
Prunus emarginata (aka: Bitter cherry)
Salix bebbiana (aka: Bebb willow, Beak willow, Beaked willow, Long-beaked willow, Diamond willow, Chaton, Petit Minou, Smooth Bebb willow)
Celtis occidentalis (aka: Common hackberry, Bastard elm, Nettle-tree, Northern hackberry)
