Salix bebbiana aka Bebb's Willow

Salix bebbiana is a deciduous willow in the Salicaceae family. Its common names include Bebb willow and beak willow. Its native range spans subarctic lands and the United States. Records also place it in parts of temperate Russia. It grows beside streams, lakes, and swamps in rich, moist soil. It also forms dense stands in open meadows. Mountain populations reach sites near 9,840 feet [3,000 metres] above sea level.

This plant grows as a dense shrub or small, multi-stemmed tree. Virginia Tech gives a shrub height of 10 feet [3 metres]. Plants For A Future reports heights reaching 23 feet [7 metres]. It grows fast but has a short life. Young bark looks glossy, with gray-green tones and red pores. Older bark develops deep grooves and a rough surface. Fungi can cause diamond-shaped marks on the trunk. Slender twigs range from green-brown to red-brown, with gray hairs when young. Pointed buds lie close against the twigs beneath one scale.

The leaves grow in turn along each stem. Each leaf is oval or broadest near its tip. Edges may be smooth or have a few shallow teeth. The upper face looks dull green or gray-green. White hairs and clear net-like veins mark the lower face. Soft, pale yellow-white catkins appear with the leaves in spring. Plants For A Future gives May as the flowering month. Male and female flowers grow on separate plants. Bees and other insects carry pollen between them. Hairy, pointed capsules hold many small seeds with fluffy hairs. The seeds ripen in June.

Grow this willow in sun, with damp soil. It accepts sand, loam, clay, and heavy clay. Wet ground, poor drainage, and brief flooding suit it. Mildly acid or neutral soil suits it better than chalk. It does not grow well in shade. Plants For A Future lists USDA zones 3–7. A sunny woodland edge offers a suitable garden setting. It can colonize cleared ground where enough moisture remains. Later, taller woodland trees may shade it out.

Flexible stems provide material for baskets, while bark supplies fibre. Growers can cut plants back each year for basket stems. Cutting every second year produces thicker poles. Historical remedies used bark, roots, sap, and branches. These records do not establish that such treatments are safe. Plants For A Future lists no known edible use. It also reports no known hazards, rather than proven safety. Cuttings root readily, but ripe seed loses viability within days.