Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Salicaceae

Genus:

Salix

Species:

Salix drummondiana

USDA Symbol:

SADR

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Shrub

Height:

400 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

Low

Bloom Months:

mar,apr,may,jun

Bloom Colors:

yellow, silver

Landscaping Shrub:

Yes

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 root crown and adventitious buds after fire or mechanical damage.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

moist, nutrient-rich, well-drained soil

pH:

5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

tolerates poor drainage

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

commonly found along streams and riverbanks

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

None required

Germination Time:

7–28 days

Notes:

Willow seeds have very short viability (days to weeks) and require immediate sowing on moist substrate. No pretreatment needed but fresh seed is essential.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI