Scouler's Willow

Salix scouleriana

Dave Powell, USDA Forest Service, United States

Taxonomy

Division:: Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:: Salicaceae
Genus:: Salix
Species:: Salix scouleriana

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:: Perennial
Growth Habit:: Shrub , Tree
Height:: More than 40 ft
Light Requirements:: Full Sun, Part Shade, Shade
Drought Tolerance:: High
Bloom Months:: feb, mar, apr, may, jun
Bloom Colors:: Yellow

Native Range

United States: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Yukon

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:: ★☆☆☆☆ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)
Bee Keystone:: ★☆☆☆☆ Based on number of native bee species using this genus for pollen and nectar (Source: National Wildlife Federation)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Abagrotis trigona, Acerra normalis, Agrochola pulchella, American lappet moth (Phyllodesma americana), American Swordgrass Moth (Xylena nupera), Dimorphic Euchlaena Moth (Euchlaena mollisaria), Douglas-fir tussock moth (Orgyia pseudotsugata), Egira hiemalis, funeral dagger moth (Acronicta funeralis), Furcula scolopendrina, George's pinion (Lithophane georgii), gray dagger moth (Acronicta grisea), gray swordgrass (Xylena cineritia), Hare-Lip Dagger Moth (Acronicta lepusculina), Herald (Scoliopteryx libatrix), hibiscus Quaker (Orthosia hibisci), Homoglaea dives, Iridopsis emasculata, oak nycteoline (Nycteola revayana), Orthosia pacifica, Portland Phosphila (Pheosia portlandia), Pseudorthodes irrorata, Red-washed Prominent (Oligocentria semirufescens), Rusty Tussock Moth (Orgyia antiqua), Spotted Tussock Moth (Lophocampa maculata), Synaxis jubararia, Three-spotted sallow (Eupsilia tristigmata), Unicorn caterpillar moth (Schizura unicornis), Variegated cutworm (Peridroma saucia), Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:: moist, well-drained, loamy or sandy soil
pH:: 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:: tolerates poor drainage
Moisture:: consistently moist
Notes:: Common in riparian zones and wetland edges

Germination Information

Pre-treatment: No stratification required for seeds. For cuttings, 94% rooting was obtained without the use of IBA. However, 84% to 100% rooting was obtained in both hardwood and softwood cuttings treated with 1000, 2000, and 3000 ppm IBA.

Establishment: S. scouleriana is found from Alaska, Yukon and Northwest Territories south to South Dakota, New Mexico, Arizona and California. It grows from the lowlands and foothills to mid-montane elevations. For cuttings, softwood stem tip cuttings root more quickly than hardwood cuttings. For seeds, the germination medium used is a standard sphagnum peat moss and perlite mix of fairly coarse texture (Sunshine #1).

Source: npn.rngr.net