Click on the images to help you identify a peachleafed willow.
Form
Small to medium tree with weeping branches and one or multiple trunks. The peachleaf willow can reach a height of 60 to 70 feet with a trunk diameter of 24 inches.
Bark
Gray, with deep, broad furrows and narrow, interlacing ridges.
Leaf
Simple, alternate on stem, 5 1/2 inches long and 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches wide; long, pointed, lance-shaped with finely toothed margins; whitish underneath; borne on long, slender, somewhat twisted stems. Lower surface is pale green or pale blue-green.
Fruit (seed)
Capsules containing numerous seeds, grouped in dense, elongated clusters known as catkins. Seeds are minute, maturing in late spring or early summer. Propagation may be easier by cutting than by seed.
Range
Native to southern and western Minnesota, especially in riparian areas; hardy throughout.
Wood uses
Light brown, soft, weak, flexible, and coarse-grained; sapwood is thin and whitish. Used for fuel, erosion control, ornamental plantings, windbreaks, baseball bats, and charcoal. Large, straight-grained trees are used in the manufacture of artificial limbs. Flexible wood is also used for dye, furniture, mats, baskets, drums, and tipi pegs. Historically, the tree has medicinal value; its salicylic acid has been used to produce aspirin.