Salix lutea, commonly known as yellow willow, thrives in wet environments across central Canada and much of the western and central United States. This shrub, which can form dense thickets or grow as a small tree, is adapted to riparian habitats, including riverbanks, meadows, and gullies. Its leaves, lance-shaped with variable edges, and its catkins, ranging in size and shape, are key identifying features. While it can reproduce vegetatively, its main reproductive strategy involves the widespread dispersal of wind-borne seeds. It's frequently used in revegetation efforts to stabilize eroding riverbanks.

Distributions –
foothills; prairie; parkland; boreal; montane

Light –
full-sun

Bloom Period –
spring

Height –
Up to 7 m
Up to 23 feet

Habitat –
Moist soil along streams and rivers, around lakes.