Salix gooddingii – “Goodding’s Willow”

Also Known As: Goodding’s Black Willow
Family: Willow (Salicaceae)
Bloom Period: Feb-Mar
Form: Tree
Habitat: Moist places such as seeps and oases
Leaves: Linear; alternate
Translation: “Salix” is the old Latin name for the willow, and comes from the verb, “to leap or spring,” which describes their rapid growth; “gooddingii” is named for Leslie Newton Goodding (1880-1967), a botanist and collector.
Notes: Compare with Coyote Willow (Salix exigua var. exigua), which grows in the same habitat.
Native American Uses: The Cahuilla used the wood to make cradle-boards. The Pima used the bark to pad baby cradles and the branches to make baskets, hunting bows and birdcages. The Mojave made tea from the young shoots. The Quechan made tea from the bark and leaves and also ate the bark, raw or roasted in hot ashes.