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Home/Species/ Meadow Willow

Salix petiolaris

Sm.

Meadow Willow

G5Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.140637
Element CodePDSAL02280
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderSalicales
FamilySalicaceae
GenusSalix
Synonyms
Salix gracilisAnderss.Salix x subsericea(Anderss.) Schneid.
Other Common Names
meadow willow (EN) Saule à long pétiole (FR) Slender Willow (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Excel v3.2x
Review Date2024-09-03
Change Date1996-09-11
Edition Date2024-09-03
Edition AuthorsNordman, C. (2024).
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Meadow Willow (Salix petiolaris) occurs in central and eastern North America, in Canada and the northern United States. There are estimated to be more than 700 occurrences of Meadow Willow rangewide, and there are likely many occurrences with good or excellent viability. Threats include the loss of habitat due to conversion of its natural habitats for development or agriculture (such as for row crops or improved pasture), competition from invasive exotic plants, water management and impoundment with dams.
Range Extent Comments
Meadow Willow (Salix petiolaris) occurs in central and eastern North America, in Canada and the northern United States. It occurs in Canada from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Québec to Alberta and eastern British Columbia, and in the United States from Maine to Pennsylvania, Kansas, North Dakota, Colorado and eastern Montana. Range extent was estimated to be 5.3 million square kilometers, using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (FNA 2010, GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, POWO 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, there are estimated to be more than 700 occurrences of Meadow Willow rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Threats to Meadow Willow include the loss of habitat due to conversion of its natural habitats for development or agriculture (such as for row crops or improved pasture), competition from invasive exotic plants, water management and impoundment with dams.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Meadow Willow (Salix petiolaris) occurs in "sedge meadows, openings in moist, low, rich deciduous woods, sandy or peaty wet prairies, and along lakeshores", at 10-2700 meters of elevation (FNA 2010).

Reproduction

Flowers from the middle of April to the middle of June (FNA 2010).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - Hardwood
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDSCRUB-SHRUB WETLANDFORESTED WETLAND
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
Prince Edward IslandS3Yes
SaskatchewanS4Yes
Nova ScotiaS4Yes
ManitobaS4Yes
New BrunswickS5Yes
British ColumbiaS3Yes
Northwest TerritoriesSNRYes
OntarioS5Yes
AlbertaS5Yes
QuebecS5Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
IllinoisS3Yes
OhioS2Yes
New JerseyS4Yes
ConnecticutSUYes
MontanaSUYes
PennsylvaniaS4Yes
South DakotaSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
ColoradoS1Yes
New YorkS5Yes
North DakotaSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
IndianaSNRYes
IowaS4Yes
MissouriSHYes
MaineSNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
VermontS4Yes
New HampshireSNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
NebraskaS4Yes
MichiganSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentNegligible (<1%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areasNegligible (<1%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
2.1 - Annual & perennial non-timber cropsSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7 - Natural system modificationsSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7.2 - Dams & water management/useSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationDECIDUOUS, SPRING-FLOWERING
Economic Value (Genus)Yes
Roadless Areas (2)
Michigan (1)
AreaForestAcres
FibreHiawatha National Forest7,432
Minnesota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Phantom LakeSuperior National Forest6,521
References (7)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2010. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 7. Magnoliophyta: Salicaceae to Brassicaceae. Oxford University Press, New York. xxii + 797 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  3. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  4. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  5. Little, E.L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees (native and naturalized). Agriculture Handbook No. 541. U.S. Forest Service, Washington, D.C. 375 pp.
  6. Plants of the World Online (POWO). 2024. Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Online. Available: https://powo.science.kew.org/ (accessed 2024).
  7. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).