ARROYO WILLOW

The willow is one of the most common shrubs in the world, and the Arroyo Willow is among the most visible of plants in much of Southern California.

There are about 300 species of willow, ranging from low shrubs to larger, tree-like varieties such as the weeping willow.

It can be difficult to distinguish the many types of willow because they share so many of the same characteristics.

The arroyo willow, or Salix lasiolepis, pictured above, is most often shrub-like, with smooth, green leaves 2 to 5 inches long, three-eighths to 1 inch wide, that are characteristically broader in the upper half.

The shrub is found in cool, moist places throughout the Southland at elevations lower than 6,500 feet, but not in deserts. It is found along watercourses and in semi-shady areas. The plants are common in the Santa Monica Mountains.

The plant pictured above, in its spring flowering stage, grows along the banks of the Santa Clara River on the northern border of Santa Clarita. The arroyo willow’s flowers, known as catkins, cluster on its bare branches before the leaves grow in spring.

Before the advent of plastics, the pliable twigs of the arroyo willow and other low-growing willow shrubs were commonly in making baskets. In some areas of the world, willow twigs are still woven into baskets.