Scouler's Willow

You spot Scouler's Willow along streams, in disturbed areas, and on roadsides throughout the Pacific Northwest, growing as a 25-30 foot deciduous tree with multiple stems. The early yellow flowers appear on catkins in late winter before leaves emerge. Orange-tinted lenticels mark the glossy stems, and the plant establishes quickly after disturbance.

This fast-growing willow tolerates moist lowland and upland sites, adapting to variable moisture and soil conditions. It performs well in full sun to partial shade. Hard pruning or coppicing (cutting back to a framework) controls form, and new shoots emerge vigorously. Watch for rust, twig blight, and wood-boring insects. The tree's rapid establishment makes it valuable for riparian stabilization and erosion control.