Willow Identification Key: Salix x rubens

Common Name:

Scientific Name:

New Zealand Clones:

Technical Description:

Habit: Tall tree, up to 20-25 m high, broad, rounded crown with spreading branches sometimes pendulous.

Shoots: Variable colour yellow-orange, olive-green or brownish green; thinly hairy at first, soon hairless, slightly to very brittle.

Leaves: 7-12 cm long, 1.5-3 cm wide, lanceolate or narrowly elliptic; margins serrate; usually shining green above, bluish grey below; soon becoming hairless.

Catkins: Male or female; narrow-cylindrical, curved; 3.5-6 cm long; appearing with or after leaves, September- October.

Comments: A variable set of hybrids between Salix alba and Salix fragilis. Sawfly galls are nearly always red as in S. fragilis. Particularly common on Canterbury and Manawatu riverbanks.