Salix irrorata

Salix irrorata
Figure 4: Salix irrorata leaf
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Salicaceae
Genus: Salix
Species:
S. irrorata
Binomial name
Salix irrorata

Salix irrorata, the dewystem willow, blue-stem willow, or sandbar willow, is a species of willow native to the US states of Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico, and to northern Mexico. In spite of its bluestem willow common name, its stems are red, but a white coat develops that makes them appear bluish. A bushy shrub that prefers moist areas, in a garden setting it needs coppicing to both keep it from growing overlarge and to maintain the attractive bark coloration. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit as an ornamental.