Virginia Tech Dendrology

Scouler willow Salicaceae Salix scouleriana Barratt ex Hook. symbol: SASC
Leaf: Alternate, simple, distinctly obovate, 3 to 5 inches long, margins usually entire but may have a few wavy teeth, edges rolled under, often arranged in a fan-like fashion at the ends of twigs, dark green above, paler and maybe reddish hairy below.
Flower: Species is dioecious; 1 to 2 inches long, fuzzy catkins, yellowish white, appearing in spring with the leaves.
Fruit: Small (1/4 inch), long-pointed, hairy capsules in oblong clusters; each capsule contains numerous small fuzzy seeds.
Twig: Slender, yellowish brown to red, may have some fuzz; red buds are large and pointed, with a single cap-like scale.
Bark: Gray to gray-brown, smooth with diamond shaped lenticels when young, later becoming shallowly fissured and scaly.
Form: Large shrub but often a small tree with a single, upright trunk and round crown, reaching 25 feet..
Looks like: pussy willow - Bebb's willow - Sitka willow

Additional Range Information: Salix scouleriana is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. See states reporting Scouler willow.
External Links: USDAFS Additional Silvics - USDA Plants Database
All material © 2017 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson