Salix floridana Chapm.

Florida Willow

Tree

Perennial

Vascular

Florida Willow is a native deciduous tree in the Willow family (Salicaceae). It has been found in three counties in southern Alabama. Florida Willow grows in seeps, in forested wetlands, and along spring runs. It is a small tree or large shrub reaching heights of 3-20 feet. The stems, like those of most willows, are brittle. The branches are yellow-green to reddish-brown in color and sparsely pubescent. The bark on the trunk and older branches is gray in color. Leaves are petiolate, deciduous, alternate, narrowly oblong to oblong lanceolate or ovate in outline, with serrated margins. The petiole is puberulent on the upper surface. The leaves are grayish-white and pubescent on the lower surface and bright green and glabrous to sparsely pubescent on the upper surface especially along the midrib. Semi-circular stipules occur at the base of the leaves. Flowers are produced before the leaves in early spring. Florida Willow is dioecious (having separate male and female plants). Flowers are produced in short upright catkins. Male catkins are yellowish-green in color. Female catkins are green and non-showy. The fruit is a reddish-brown capsule with many small seed. The wind dispersed seed have a white cottony tuff of hairs. Florida Willow is ranked as an S1 species in Alabama (typically 5 or fewer occurrences, very few remaining individuals, making it especially vulnerable in the state) and globally as a G2 species (imperiled globally because of rarity (6 - 20 occurrences) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors).—A. Diamond

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Native FACW+ (NWPL) S1 (State Rank) G2 (Global Rank)

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