Salix

The largest native willow of North America — a fast-growing, water-loving deciduous tree of floodplains, stream banks, swamps, and pond margins that typically reaches 30-60 feet and can soar to 140 feet in ideal sites. Narrow, finely toothed lanceolate leaves and dark, deeply furrowed bark distinguish it; dioecious yellowish-green catkins open in early spring as the leaves emerge. Its shallow, spreading roots make it a premier soil binder for erosion control, though weak wood and a thirst for never-dry soil keep it out of most residential yards.

A native deciduous willow of northern North America famous for the silky, silvery catkins — the "pussies" — that swell on bare stems in late winter, often while snow is still on the ground. Usually grown as a large multi-stemmed shrub 6-15 feet tall, it thrives in moist to wet soils and tolerates drier ground better than most willows. Dioecious (separate male and female plants), it is one of the earliest pollen and nectar sources of the year and a documented host for a wide range of native bees and Lepidoptera.

A medium to large deciduous tree with a stout trunk topped by a broad-rounded crown of slender branches that sweep down to the ground — the classic weeping silhouette. Native to northern China (Linnaeus mistook it for the biblical willow of Babylon), it grows fast to 30-50 feet tall and as wide and is at its best beside a pond or stream. It is dioecious, with silvery-green catkins in April-May on separate male and female trees, but weak wood, aggressive shallow roots, and many pest and disease problems make it a poor choice near houses or pipes.