Salix lucida aka Shining Willow

Salix lucida has two common names: shining willow and American shining willow. It belongs to Salicaceae, the willow family. Its native range spans central and eastern Canada and the United States. It grows in temperate regions. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. This woody plant grows as a shrub or small tree. Its upright shape gives it a clear vertical outline.

Virginia Tech describes a pyramid shape reaching 25 feet [7.6 metres]. It also reports heights of 35 feet [10.7 metres] in the western range. These figures describe its form and range, not just garden size. The gray-brown bark has uneven grooves along its surface. Thin twigs bend with ease. Their colors range from yellow-brown to red-brown. Some twigs are smooth, while others have fine hairs. Small buds lie close against each twig. One cap-like scale covers each bud. No terminal buds grow at the twig tips.

The leaves grow one at a time along the stems. Each leaf is simple, not split into leaflets. Leaves range in shape from a lance to a narrow oval. Fine teeth line the edges of the leaf blades. The top of each leaf shines and is yellow-green. The leaves may have fine hairs beneath or none at all. Leafy growths called stipules sit at each leaf stalk's base. The shine of the leaves helps explain the plant's common name.

Male and female flowers grow on separate plants. Both form upright flower clusters called catkins, about two inches long. They emerge with the leaves or just after them. Chicago Botanic Garden lists the flowers as yellow. It gives a bloom time of March through June. In early summer, the fruit forms light-brown clusters of capsules. Each cluster is about two and three-quarter inches long. The capsules hold many small seeds with cotton-like hairs.

Chicago Botanic Garden lists full sun and moist soil for growth. It gives a USDA hardiness range of zones 4–8. The garden records this species as an upright shrub. It notes that the plant draws birds and butterflies. Its glossy leaves add interest in the landscape. So do its upright form and spring catkins. The supplied species records give no details on pests or diseases. They give no evidence for food use or toxicity specific to this species.