Salicaceae: Salix interior
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Family Name
Salicaceae
Common Name
Sandbar willow, interior willow
Native American Name
Lakota name: čȟoȟáŋ waŋžíča, waȟpé wazílya
Description
Salix interior is a deciduous shrub or small tree typically growing 3 to 8 meters tall. It often forms thickets by root suckering along riverbanks and sandbars. The bark on young stems is smooth and greenish to reddish-brown, becoming furrowed and grayish with age. Branches are slender and flexible. Leaves are alternate, simple, and lanceolate to narrowly elliptical, measuring 4 to 10 cm long and 1 to 3 cm wide. Leaf margins are finely serrated. The upper leaf surface is dark green and glabrous (smooth), while the underside is paler and often finely hairy. Petioles measure about 5 to 10 mm long. This species is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants. Flowers appear in early spring (March–May), arranged in slender catkins 3 to 7 cm long. Male catkins are slender, 2–6 cm long, bearing numerous yellow stamens—typically 2 per flower. Female catkins are shorter and clustered, each flower containing a single pistil with long styles and feathery stigmas. Like other willows, the flowers lack true petals and sepals but have small floral scales (bracts) subtending each flower. The fruit is a small capsule that splits open to release numerous tiny seeds surrounded by cottony hairs which aid in wind dispersal. Sandbar willow is native to South Dakota, commonly growing on sandbars, riverbanks, and other moist, sandy or silty sites throughout South Dakota.
Horticulture Notes
Seed Collection: Late spring to early summer
Germination: Seeds germinate quickly on moist soil
Vegetative Propagation: Easily propagated by cuttings
Soils: Prefers moist, sandy to silty soils along waterways
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Water: Moist to wet conditions
Additional Notes
Sandbar willow is important for stabilizing stream banks and sandy soils. It provides habitat and browse for wildlife such as deer and beavers and is used in riparian restoration efforts.