The Sitka willow, Salix sitchensis, is a perennial dicot of the Salicaceae family that is native to Western North America. In the United States it grows throughout the coastal states of Washington, California, and Oregon, along with Montana and Idaho in the interior. Its native range extends northward through Alberta and British Columbia, culminating at its uppermost point in Alaska.Characteristic of its genus, S. sitchensis is typically found in damp soil such as streambanks, forests, lakeshores, and wetlands at low to moderate elevations, but it can survive in drier soils as well.(Giblin and Knoke 2017).
Salix sitchensis can grow as either a shrub or a tree and can reach between 0.9 - 7.6 meters in height (Moore 2017). It generally flowers in early-April to mid-June, with the exception of California, where it can flower in March. While traits like hybridization and variation can make willows difficult to differentiate, S. sitchensis can be identified using its leaves. Their topsides are a light green while the undersides are fuzzy: covered with soft, short hairs that create a sheen-like appearance. They are alternate in pattern, with stipules that do not develop beyond a rudimentary stage (Flora North America 2017). Growing out narrow from the petiole, the simple leaves are between 2.5 - 7.6 cm in length and culminate in a wider, oval tip that comes to a point at the end. The catkins can appear either before or with the appearance of the leaves and their color can range from cream to yellow. The body of each catkin is cylindrical and densely covered with rows of dioecious flowers that go from very slender, almost antenna-like, to robust when they bloom (Flora North America 2017). At the later stage, each flower is covered in hair. Seeds develop early in the growth season and are carried away on wind once they have shed.
Salix sitchensis is easily planted, requiring only a stem or branch to be buried in the soil. Once planted, it grows quickly and densely, which makes it effective at curbing soil erosion and runoff in the damp and wetland areas where it thrives. While the aforementioned “live steak” method can be the most efficient, planting can also be done by seed. The germination potency is low, seeing a drop in viability after a few days so the seeds are best used right after ripening. Once dropped in to the soil, or surface sown, the seeds will germinate within 12 to 24 hours (Moore 2017).
Salix sitchensis contains the chemical salicin, commonly used in pain relievers like aspirin. Salicin compounded with flavonoids found in the leaves create an anti-inflammatory that has long been a staple in some natural remedies (Flora 2017). The flexibility of the branches made it useful in fishing traps and other tools used by original peoples. Other uses included dye by the Salish people who also used it in nets. The bark was burned preferentially because of the lack of smell and odor compared to that given off in the burning of other trees (NAED 2003).
Salix sitchensis is a species of willow known by the common name Sitka willow.
It is native to northwestern North America from Alaska to northern California to Montana.
It is a common to abundant plant in many types of coastal and inland wetland habitat, such as marshes, riverbanks, swamps, coastal sand dunes, and mountain springs.
Salix sitchensis is variable in appearance, taking the form of a bushy shrub or an erect tree up to 8 m (26 ft) tall. The leaves are up to 12 cm long, lance-shaped or oval with pointed tips, smooth-edged or toothed, often with the edges rolled under. The undersides are hairy to woolly in texture, and the upper surfaces are mostly hairless and dark green.
The inflorescence is a catkin of flowers, slender or short and stout. Male catkins are up to 6 cm long and female catkins are longer, sometimes exceeding 10 cm as the fruits develop. The bloom period is March in California.
Salix sitchensis is a species of willow known by the common name Sitka willow.
It is native to northwestern North America from Alaska to northern California to Montana.
It is a common to abundant plant in many types of coastal and inland wetland habitat, such as marshes, riverbanks, swamps, coastal sand dunes, and mountain springs.
