Salix gooddingii

A 15-30' deciduous shrub-tree. Yellow stems and light green leaves. Native through much of the Southwest. Not a fast grower. It spends most of its first few year growing roots. We have seen this in the Bakersfield area. They were growing next to the Kern River bed in full sun, in deep loam and next to an alkali flat. There were a few Quercus lobata in sight (about 1/4 mile away) and some Populus fremontii in the area. It was not in the river (which was dry anyway) but up on the bank. Rainfall in its range is 5-15"/year almost always in the winter. But San Joaquin Willow will never be found far from water. In San Luis Obispo County there are a few in Carrizo plains and in the Temblor range. In southern California grows with Baccharis emoryi (Baccharis salicina), Vitis girdiana, and Pluchea odorata. A nice small willow that tolerates alkaline soils and bad water.