Tree Plaques In The Park
Key Identifying Characteristics
This deciduous, native shrub to small tree with narrow, alternate leaves grows near water source. Fuzzy catkins (pussy willows) appear in late winter/early spring.
Height / Size
Fast growing, ranging 7-35 feet tall, and 10-15 feet wide.
Leaves or Needles
Long slender olive green leaves are alternate, deciduous, and shed in cold months. Leaves are 3-5 inches long, wider near the tip than the base, and pale underneath.
Bark / Trunk
Single or multiple trunks with gray bark, furrowing to brown.
Flower
Male catkins and female catkins on separate plants (dioecious). Catkins appear before leaves, in January-February.
Fruit / Seed / Cone
Seeds are tiny and windblown in fluffy cotton masses.
Habitat
Grows in wet areas and moist soils along creeks.
Location / Range
Northern, southern and central California to 7000 feet. Old Trout Farm trail, and common along creekside trails.
Lifespan
Typically lives to 35 years.
Native / Non-native
Native
Fascinating / Fun Facts
Willow leaves and bark contain a compound, salicin, which is the active ingredient in aspirin. Indigenous peoples of California used willow as a medicinal plant, the inner bark was used to make rope, shoots and branches were used in basketry. The network of willow roots help stabilize a riverbank.
Sources:
Calscape
PlantID.net
VanderWerf, Barbara. 1994. Montara Mountain. Gum Tree Lane Books, El Granada, CA
Wikipedia