Peachleaf Willow
Salix amygdaloides
- Native to:
- Canada, United States
Matt Lavin (www.flickr.com) from Bozeman, Montana, USA
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Salicaceae
- Genus:
- Salix
- Species:
- Salix amygdaloides
- USDA Symbol:
- SAAM2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Shrub , Tree
- Height:
- 2000 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun,Part Shade,Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Low
- Bloom Months:
- apr,may,jun
- Bloom Colors:
- yellow, green
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★★ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
- Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:
- ★★★★★ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, bees, butterflies, small mammals
- Fall Color:
- yellow
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from the root crown following fire or mechanical damage.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, moist, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- Commonly found in floodplains and along riverbanks
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Seeds are short-lived and must be sown fresh on moist soil; no dormancy but require consistent moisture.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Cuttings are stuck to a depth of 10 cm in a 2:1:1 peat:perlite:vermiculite mixture. A controlled release fertilizer 14-14-14 is incorporated into the media at the rate of 4 kg/m3. Cuttings are watered in and kept moist throughout the rooting period using an intermittent misting schedule.
Establishment: Cuttings are collected from stooling beds that are hedged to maintain juvenile wood that is straight and for ease of handling and sticking in field beds. Wild collections are also grown at the nursery and kept separated according to source. For greenhouse propagation, cuttings are taken from dormant plants growing in stooling blocks in March (or anytime January to early April). The earlier the cuttings are taken, the longer they can be stored before bud burst occurs during storage. Once bud burst occurs, rooting success drops quickly.
Source: npn.rngr.net