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Red willow facts for kids

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Red willow
Salixlaevigata.jpg
Conservation status

Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Genus:
Salix
Species:
laevigata
Salix laevigata range map 1.png
Natural range of Salix laevigata
Salix laevigata range map 4.png
Close-up of natural range of Salix laevigata

Salix laevigata, also known as the red willow or polished willow, is a type of willow tree. This tree naturally grows in the southwestern United States and the northern part of Baja California in Mexico.

What is the Red Willow?

The red willow is a small tree that can grow up to about 14 meters (45 feet) tall. Like many other willows, it loves water! You'll often find it growing near riverbanks or in other places where the soil stays very wet. Its name "polished willow" might come from its smooth, shiny leaves or bark.

Where Does the Red Willow Grow?

The red willow is found in several places across North America. It grows along the coast of Baja California and up through California, reaching as far north as Cape Mendocino.

You can also find it east of the San Joaquin Valley in the lower parts of the Sierra Nevada mountains. However, it doesn't grow in the Central Valley itself.

Smaller groups of red willows are also found in Oregon, Nevada, and New Mexico. In Arizona, it grows in the central part of the Mogollon Rim and even in the central Grand Canyon. Its range stretches into the Virgin River canyon in southwestern Utah.

How Did People Use the Red Willow?

Long ago, the Kutenai people, an Indigenous group, called the red willow mukwuʔk. They were very skilled at using this willow. They used its flexible branches and bark to make beautiful and useful baskets. This shows how important plants like the red willow were to early communities for everyday life.

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