shining willow
Salix lucida
USDA zones3 to 6
SunHandles full sun to full shade
WaterHandles moderate to wet soil
Size25 to 20 feet tall10 feet wide
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, winter
- Bloom color
- Yellow
- Foliage color
- Yellow-green
- Soil pH
- Circumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2)
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Shining willow (Salix lucida) is a shrub for meadow plantings. It is hardy to USDA zone 3, or down to -40°F (-40°C). This plant likes full sun to full shade and average to wet soil. It grows 12 to 20 feet tall with a pyramidal form and smooth, glossy leaves that shimmer in the sun. Butterflies and bees visit it, and spring branches are densely covered with green catkins. Its roots are aggressive, so keep it away from drains and sewers.
Pairs well with Joe Pye weed, Royal fern, Red elderberry, and Indian grass.
Native range
AK, AZ, CA, CO, and 41 more places. See all 45
AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MT, ND, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SD, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY; AB, MB, NB, NL, NS, NT, ON, PE, QC, SK, and YT.