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Salix exigua
Also called Coyote Willow, Sandbar Willow, Narrow Leaf Willow, Desert Willow, Narrow Leaved Willow, Western Sandbar Willow
Narrowleaf willow is a fast-growing, deciduous shrub or small tree native across much of North America, often forming dense colonies along streams and sandbars. It thrives in moist soil and full sun, and is best grown where it has room to spread.
Salix exigua (sandbar willow, narrowleaf willow, or coyote willow; syn. S. argophylla, S. hindsiana, S. interior, S. linearifolia, S. luteosericea, S. malacophylla, S. nevadensis, and S. parishiana) is a species of willow native to most of North America except for the southeast and far north, occurring from Alaska east to New Brunswick, and south to northern Mexico. It is considered a threatened species in Massachusetts while in Connecticut, Maryland, and New Hampshire it is considered endangered.
Salix exigua is cultivated as an ornamental tree. In the UK it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
The male flowers provide pollen for bees. It is a larval host to the California hairstreak, Lorquin's admiral, mourning cloak, sylvan hairstreak, tiger swallowtail, and viceroy.
This willow has many uses for Native Americans; the branches are used as flexible poles and building materials, the smaller twigs are used to make baskets, the bark is made into cord and string, and the bark and leaves have several medicinal uses. The Zuni people take an infusion of the bark for coughs and sore throats.
Siberian Violet Willow · White willow · Salix alpina · Arctic willow · Eared willow · Peking Willow · Goat Willow · Pussy willow · Olive Willow · Salix excelsa · Salix fargesii · Crack Willow
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Salix exigua by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
