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Salix planifolia
Salix planifolia (Tea-leaf Willow) staminate catkins. These are sweetly scented and visited by many species of small beetles and wasps. Salix planifolia is among the first plants to bloom here in the spring. The other is Tag Alder (Alnus rugosa). In Minnesota, Salix planifolia grows in sedge meadows, willow thickets, alder swamps, and tamarack swamps where the soil is saturated to the surface. It also grows along the banks of small streams with its branches in the water.
''Salix planifolia'' is a species of willow known by the common names planeleaf willow, diamondleaf willow, and tea-leafed willow. It is native to northern and western North America, including most of Canada and the western United States. It grows in many types of arctic and alpine habitats in the north, and mountainous areas in the southern part of its range.
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Absolutely stunning! There are approximately 400 species of willow (Salix sp.), many of which can be found growing in moist soils of the cold and temperate regions in the Northern Hemisphere. These plants come in many varieties—from towering weeping willow trees to smaller species, such as pussy willows.
In addition to their aesthetic value, willows have so much to offer. The bark and leaves contain salicin, a precursor to aspirin, and they have been used throughout history as a remedy for aches and fever. Furthermore, willow has been used to manufacture items such as fishing nets, baskets, fences, boats, furniture, brooms, boxes, toys, musical instruments, rope, and sporting equipment for thousands of years! Willow can also be used in art to make drawing charcoal and to make sculptures. Remarkable, but there’s more! Willow has significant environmental value and energy potential: It’s grown as biofuel because it grows quickly, has a very high energy in-energy out ratio, and it has enormous potential for carbon mitigation. As a plant, willow is important for use in land reclamation (returning disturbed land to a natural state), phytoremediation (using plants to clean up polluted soil), streambank stabilization (to prevent erosion), and in the construction treebogs (low-tech compost toilets that convert waste to biomass). {Salix planifolia spotted by JungleDragon moderator, Gary B in Minnesota, USA} #JungleDragon Posted 5 years ago