| ID Characteristic | Dark green leaves with a light green shinning underside much like the silver maple. The bark on the trunk is full of character with how it intertwines. The leaves are roughly 10 times longer than they are wide and are symmetrical. Can be distinguished from other willows by the glands at the bottom of the leaf. |
| Shape | Upright small tree or shrub. Rounded and broad shape with erect branches. Not colonial. |
| Landscape | Use as a border plant around ponds, lakes, streams and rivers. It can also be used as a general landscape tree as long as it has moderately moist soil. Can be used along roads and highways and in parking lots as it has a high tolerance to salt and pollution. |
| Propagation | Propagation by seed or cuttings. The seeds can be collected directly after the fruit has ripened – it is easiest to wait until the catkins have started to open. Seeds will germinate start to germinate as soon as they are planted. They need the soil to stay moist or they will not germinate. Since the seeds have a very high concentration of chlorophyll the seeds will germinate faster if they are exposed to light. S. lucida seeds do not go dormant and so there is no pre-treatment required before planting the seeds. For cuttings, the wood needs to be over 1 year old to be successful. Cuttings need to be at least 18 cm long and at least 1 cm thick. The branches of the cutting need to be removed all the way up the stem leaving two or three branches at the top of the stem. You then must soak the cuttings in water for at least five days. The cutting then needs to be dug into the ground so that at least 25% of the branch is above ground. |
| Cultivation | S. lucida prefers moist soils and is moisture tolerant. It grows best in full sun and is very tolerant to the cold. |
| Pests | Bruce spanworm, asian long-horned beetle, willow flea weevil. Is susceptible to Ribes-willow rust. |
| Habitat | Along streams, lakes, rivers in western North America. |
| Bark/Stem Description | very smooth bark when it is young and immature and as it matures it becomes more rigid and rough. When it is young it is a light to medium grey colour and as it ages, and matures it becomes a dark grey or brown. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description | The buds are light brown and are covered by a single scare. The flower buds are bigger than the leaf buds. Leaf scars are v shaped, with 3 scars. |
| Leaf Description | Simple, long, alternate and very fine serrate leaves. Generally they are 10 times longer than they are wide. The leaves are 5 - 20 cm long with smooth leaf stalks. |
| Flower Description | Pale yellow Catkin which contain between 4 and 8 stamen and have a pistil around 3 -12 cm long. They carry the seeds, and will flower until May. The catkins then turn a dull brown and split open revealing its seeds. |
| Fruit Description | Very small (4 – 7 mm) light brown fruit. |
| Colour Description | As a young tree, it has a light coloured bark with a smooth trunk. As the tree matures, the trunk turns a dark grey-brown colour. In the spring the leaves are yellow-green colour. As they mature the top becomes a dark glossy green and the bottom of the leaf becomes a light green, giving a shining effect. Long slender yellow Catkin which slowly change to a brown colour. |
| Texture Description | Smooth as a young tree, but as it matures, its bark becomes more rigid and intricate. Its leaves are smooth and waxy. |