sandbar willow Salicaceae Salix exigua Nutt. symbol: SAEX Leaf: Alternate, simple, lanceolate to linear, 2 to 5 inches long and very narrow, entire or with a few scattered teeth, green to gray-green above, paler and may be hairy below. Flower: Species is dioecious; 1 to 2 1/2 inches long, fuzzy catkins on a slender 1 inch stem, yellowish white, appearing in spring with the leaves. Fruit: Small (1/4 inch), long-pointed capsules in long, narrow clusters; each capsule contains numerous small fuzzy seeds. Twig: Slender, pale green to tan, may be reddish in winter, fuzzy or not; buds covered by a single cap-like scale. Bark: Silvery gray to gray-green, becoming shallowly fissured with time. Form: A thicket forming shrub with numerous small diameter stems, spreads by underground root suckering, may reach up to 25 feet tall. Looks like: arroyo willow - purpleosier willow - black willow - white willow Additional Range Information: Salix exigua is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. See states reporting sandbar willow. External Links: USDAFS Additional Silvics USDA Plants Database © Copyright 2016, Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, all rights reserved. Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson