Willow, Drummond - S. drummondiana

Shrub-type; A shrub that grows 2 to 4 meters (6 to 14 feet) tall; new stems have a glaucous (white waxy) covering with a red color (sometimes purple to green) underneath; leaves narrow at the base, widening out at the upper middle, and rounding off at the top; leaves are dark on top with a silver-velvety pubescence underneath that appears to be glaucous, but won't rub off; Common from lower edge of the forest zone up to the middle of the subalpine zone; more abundant in the higher elevation stream corridor areas dominated by Englemann spruce or subalpine fir; it grows on moist, well-aerated soils; associated with current, honeysuckle, and groundsel species.

Field propagation by dormant unrooted hardwood cuttings is very successful. Small to medium shrub with flexible stems that can be planted from low to mid-slope to floodplain. Multiple stems will intercept streamflow and slow velocities down and then return to upright position after the water, ice, or debris has gone down.

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Last Modified: 07/05/2007