Goodding's willow Salicaceae Salix gooddingii C.R. Ball symbol: SAGO Leaf: Alternate, simple, pinnately veined, lanceolate in shape, 2 to 5 inches long, with a finely serrate margin, glands on petiole. Leaves are dark and shiny above, light green below. Flower: Species is dioecious; flowers are tiny, green, borne on catkins, 1 to 3 inches long, present late spring to early summer. Fruit: Cone-shaped capsules that contain many small, cottony seeds; borne on catkins. Capsules split on maturity, mid summer. Twig: Slender, gray-brown in color, with a bitter aspirin taste; buds are small and appressed, bud scales not fused into one cap-like scale and a line will be present on the bud where the scales meet. Bark: Gray-brown to gray-black, with thick, somewhat scaly ridges and deep furrows. Form: A small to medium sized tree (up to 70 feet tall) that can develop a massive trunk with a spreading, irregular crown. Looks like: arroyo willow - sandbar willow - white willow - black willow Additional Range Information: Salix gooddingii is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. See states reporting Goodding's 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