Sandbar willow

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Sandbar willow

Sandbar willow

Sandbar willow pistillate catkins

Sandbar willow fruits

Sandbar willow

Sandbar willow staminate catkins

Sandbar willow fruits

Sandbar willow fruits

Sandbar willow leaves

Sandbar willow leaves

Sandbar willow

Sandbar willow fruit

Morphology

Stem

Erect; bark of young trees thin, smooth, yellowish-brown; bark of older trees thick, dark brown, with shallow furrows; branches erect, yellow to orange, smooth.

Leaves

Alternate, simple, linear-lanceolate, 2 to 5 inches long, 1/5 to 2/5 inch wide, yellowish-green above, slightly paler below; initially silky pubescent, later glabrous or persistently gray-pubescent; margins irregularly toothed; tip tapering to point; base tapered; stalks short, to 1/5 inch long, glandless; stipules absent.

Inflorescence

Long cluster of many small flowers (catkin), spike-like, 1 to 3 inches long, erect or drooping, borne on branches, emerging after leaves; male and female catkins occur on separate trees.

Flower

Unisexual, yellowish-green, subtended by 1 or 2 enlarged basal glands,; bracts entire, yellowish, deciduous after flowering; petals absent; staminate flowers hairy at base; stamens 2; anthers yellow; pistillate flowers with green conical ovary; stigma lobes 4, yellowish.

Fruit

Capsule, conical, 1/6 to 1/3 inch long, pale brown, glabrous; seeds tiny, dark green, base with ring of long, white, silky hairs.

Ecology

Habitat

Stream banks, shorelines, sandbars, ditches; moist alluvial soils.

Distribution

Throughout Kansas.

Practical Information

Uses

Native Americans used the branches to make baskets and mats and for the construction of sweat lodges. Stripes of bark were twisted into cord and were also used to bind sweat lodge poles together. Native Americans would chew the twigs of Salix to relieve pain. The twigs contain salicylic acid, which is similar to synthesized acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin). Red-winged blackbirds and other birds make nests in the trees.

Additional Notes