Salix scouleriana
An adaptable western North American willow that is fast-growing and can be grown as a small tree or compact shrub, readily roots from cuttings, bears large decorative catkins in winter, and provides erosion control and wildlife habitat in riparian zones.
Common Names
Scouler's Willow, Fire Willow, Nuttall Willow, Mountain Willow, Black Willow, Upland Willow, Willow
Summary
Salix scouleriana, Scouler's willow, is a deciduous shrub or small tree native to northwestern North America. It grows as a multi‑stem plant, often forming dense thickets, typically 2–10 m tall and occasionally up to 20 m, with a deep fibrous root system and pale gray to brown bark with broad ridges. Leaves are oblanceolate to elliptic, 5–12.5 cm long, dark-green and nearly hairless above, with white- or grayish-hairy undersides; it is dioecious, producing catkins in spring with male catkins bearing yellow anthers and female catkins red pistils. In cultivation, it prefers full sun to partial shade and moist to wet soils but tolerates a range of moisture and soil textures from sand to loam and clay, and it is hardy in USDA zones 3–9 and Canadian zone 2. Propagation is possible from fresh seeds or cuttings; seeds should be sown on the surface with seedbed saturation for the first month, and cuttings root best in wet soils; planting density about 18 inches apart and regular watering after planting. It is valued for erosion control and streambank restoration, border plantings, and pollinator-friendly landscapes, while generally pest- and disease-resistant.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
6-50 feet
Spread
118-192 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3-5
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun, intolerant of full shade, tolerates partial sun and partial shade
Soil Type
Moist, well-drained soil
Soil Drainage
Moist but well-drained soils
Soil pH
6.5-8.0, Tolerates acidic pH
Bloom Color
Insignificant
Bloom Time
Spring (April–June)
Foliage Color
Dark green upper surface with a pale, white- to grayish-hairy underside
Fall Foliage Color
Yellow
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Fast growth, about 1–3 meters per year.
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cuttings, Layering
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees, Attracts butterflies, Attracts other pollinators, Attracts birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Barratt
- Publication
- Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 145 (1838)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Malpighiales
- Family
- Salicaceae
- Genus
- Salix
Synonyms
Salix scouleriana var. poikila Salix scouleriana f. poikila Salix scouleriana var. coetanea Salix scouleriana var. thompsonii Salix scouleriana var. scouleriana Salix brachystachys var. crassijulis Salix nuttallii Salix flavescens var. scouleriana Salix stagnalis Salix scouleriana var. brachystachys Salix nuttallii var. brachystachys Salix capreoides Salix flavescens var. capreoides Salix nuttallii var. capreoides Salix scouleriana var. crassijulis Salix wendtii Salix brachystachys var. scouleriana Salix scouleriana var. flavescens Salix pattersonii