Salix bebbiana Sarg.

Spring and fall prescribed burns in a Minnesota prairie killed
aboveground portions of Bebb willow. In wet habitats, fire killed the
tops of Bebb willow but did no apparent harm to underground parts [38].

Bebb willow
beak willow
beaked willow
long-beaked willow
diamond willow
chaton
Petit Minou
smooth Bebb willow

More info for the term: cover

Bebb willow provides cover and protection for many birds and mammals.
It also provides shade for fish in streams and ponds [1,9,15,18]. The
degree to which Bebb willow provides environmental protection during one
or more seasons for wildlife species is rated as follows [9]:

CO MT UT WY
Pronghorn ---- ---- Poor Poor
Elk ---- ---- Fair Fair
Mule deer ---- ---- Good Good
White-tailed deer Good Good ---- ----
Small mammals ---- ---- Good Good
Small nongame birds ---- ---- Good Good
Upland game birds ---- ---- Fair Good
Waterfowl ---- ---- Poor Fair

More info for the terms: shrub, tree

Bebb willow is a large shrub 10 feet (3 m) tall or a small multistemmed
tree with a bushy top 15 to 25 feet (4.6-7.6 m) tall [6,23,25,41,43].
The twigs are slender and branch at wide angles, and are thinly to
densely hairy [5,41]. Largest mature leaves are 2.6 to 6 inches (7.2
cm) long [1]. The bark is smooth when young but becomes rough and
furrowed with age [41]. Roots of Bebb willow are shallow and dense
[45].

Bebb willow occurs from Newfoundland west to Hudson Bay and across
Canada to the Yukon Territory and interior Alaska. It extends south to
southeastern Alaska, British Columbia, the mountains of Washington,
central California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Wyoming, through western
Nebraska, Montana, and south and east from North Dakota and South Dakota
to the northeastern United States [2,26,43,45].

More info for the term: fire regime

Bebb willow is greatly favored by fire in most habitats [17]. It will
sprout rapidly from basal stems following disturbance [17,18,23]. It
has small, extremely light seeds capable of dispersing over long
distances [42].

FIRE REGIMES :
Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this
species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under
"Find FIRE REGIMES".

Prescribed burning is a common wildlife management tool used to
rejuvenate decadent Bebb willow communities [18].

More info on this topic.

More info for the term: phanerophyte

Phanerophyte

More info for the term: root collar

In northern Alberta, Bebb willow is common around sloughs in prairies,
and in foothills, upland forests, wet lowlands, thickets, and muskegs.
It is often found in thickets adjacent to streams, swamps, and lakes in
Alaska [45]. In Idaho and Montana, Bebb willow is best represented in
riparian communities within the Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) zone
and sagebrush/grass habitats. It is apparently absent in the subalpine
zone but does sometimes occur in cool Engelmann spruce (Picea
engelmannii) dominated streambottoms in the upper Douglas-fir zone
[6,18].

Soils: Bebb willow is usually found on moist sandy or gravelly soils
but is adapted to a wide variety of soil textures [45]. It will
tolerate moderately alkaline soils but does poorly in extremely acidic
or alkaline conditions [21,45]. The general pH range for willows is 5.5
to 7.5 [17]. Bebb willow can survive short periods of standing water,
but growth rates decline sharply if water persists above the root collar
[18,30]. This willow is not drought tolerant, however, and prefers
sites with adequate moisture. It is also shade intolerant and grows best
in full sunlight [45].

Elevational range: The elevational range of Bebb willow in several
states is as follows [6,9,22]:

Utah: 4,400 to 8,600 feet (1,341-2,621 m)
Colorado: 5,000 to 9,600 feet (1,524-2,926 m)
Wyoming: 4,500 to 8,300 feet (1,372-2,530 m)
Montana: 2,800 to 8,500 feet (853-2,591 m)
Arizona: 8,000 to 11,000 feet (2,438-3,353 m)
Idaho: 3,300 to 7,900 feet (1,010-2,410 m)

Plant associates: Bebb willow is commonly associated with the
following species: Pacific willow (Salix lasiandra), thinleaf alder
(Alnus tenuifolia), redosier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera), dwarfed
blackberry (Rubus pubescens), black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa),
quaking aspen (P. tremuloides), water birch (Betula occidentalis),
bluejoint reedgrass (Calamagrostis canadensis), beaked sedge (Carex
rostrata), water sedge (C. aquatilis), false-Solomons-seal (Smilacina
stellata), sweet scented bedstraw (Gallium triflorum), rush (Juncus
spp.), and bluegrass (Poa spp.) [18,19,37,45].

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This species is known to occur in association with the following cover types (as classified by the Society of American Foresters):

12 Black spruce
13 Black spruce - tamarack
16 Aspen
18 Paper birch
63 Cottonwood
107 White spruce
201 White spruce
202 White spruce - paper birch
203 Balsam poplar
204 Black spruce
210 Interior Douglas-fir
216 Blue spruce
217 Aspen
218 Lodgepole pine
222 Black cottonwood - willow
235 Cottonwood - willow
251 White spruce - aspen
252 Paper birch
253 Black spruce - white spruce
254 Black spruce - paper birch

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This species is known to occur in the following ecosystem types (as named by the U.S. Forest Service in their Forest and Range Ecosystem [FRES] Type classification):

More info for the term: shrub

FRES11 Spruce - fir
FRES15 Oak - hickory
FRES17 Elm - ash - cottonwood
FRES19 Aspen - birch
FRES20 Douglas-fir
FRES21 Ponderosa pine
FRES23 Fir - spruce
FRES26 Lodgepole pine
FRES34 Chaparral - mountain shrub
FRES36 Mountain grasslands
FRES38 Plains grasslands
FRES39 Prairie
FRES44 Alpine

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This species is known to occur in association with the following plant community types (as classified by Küchler 1964):

More info for the term: forest

K012 Douglas-fir forest
K015 Western spruce - fir forest
K016 Eastern ponderosa forest
K017 Black Hills pine forest
K018 Pine - Douglas-fir forest
K019 Arizona pine forest
K020 Spruce - fir - Douglas-fir forest
K021 Southwestern spruce - fire forest
K037 Mountain-mahogany - oak scrub
K052 Alpine meadows and barren
K055 Sagebrush steppe
K063 Foothills prairie
K066 Wheatgrass - needlegrass
K067 Wheatgrass - bluestem - needlegrass
K074 Bluestem prairie
K081 Oak savanna
K093 Great Lakes spruce - fir forest
K098 Northern floodplain forest

Fire will kill aboveground parts of Bebb willow. High-severity fires
can completely remove organic layers and leave charred roots of willow
exposed, thus eliminating basal sprouting [46,18].

More info for the terms: bog, shrubs

Wildlife: Bebb willow is a major source of browse for moose, elk, and
deer [18,32,34,41]. Along the Flathead River in Montana, Bebb willow
has been rated as highly valuable browse for elk, with heavy utilization
common [18]. One year after a fire in northeastern Minnesota, Bebb
willow was browsed frequently by moose [32]. In winter, heavy snows
tend to bend the branches down so that they are in reach of both moose
and snowshoe hares [41]. Results of a southwestern Montana food habit
study showed that Bebb willow became increasingly important browse for
moose during late winter, making up 15.4 percent of the total forage
taken. Its height made it easily accessible when low-growing shrubs
such as bog birch (Betula glandulosa) and Wolf willow (Salix wolfii)
were covered with snow [10]. Bebb willow shoots, buds, and catkins are
eaten by many small mammals, birds, and beaver [17,18,43]. In Illinois,
Carolina and black-capped chickadees excavate cavities in Bebb willow
for nesting [20].

Livestock: Bebb willow stands usually grow as widely scattered shrubs,
allowing for easy livestock access. Forage production is moderate to
high, and heavy livestock use of shrubs and grasses in this habitat is
common [4]. In southwestern Montana, Bebb willow made up 10.9 percent
of the total forage consumed by cattle in the summer [10].

More info for the term: codominant

Bebb willow can dominate or codominate early seral willow communities
along riverbanks, streambanks, overflow channels, and seeps
[4,18,27,31,37]. Published classifications describing Bebb willow as a
dominant or codominant in community types (cts) or habitat types (hts)
are listed below:

Area Classification Authority

nw MT Riparian cts Boggs & others 1990
sw MT Riparian hts Hansen & others 1989
c & e MT Riparian & wetland cts Hansen & others 1990
Utah & se ID Riparian cts Padgett & others 1989
s Utah Riparian cts Padgett & others 1986
AZ & NM Riparian & scrubland cts Szaro 1990

More info for the terms: shrub, tree

Tree, Shrub

Soil management: Soils of sites dominated by Bebb willow are often
compacted by livestock. Deferring grazing until sites are drier may
reduce trampling and compaction problems [4].

Insects: The willow sawfly can be a serious pest of willow cuttings
[45].

Control: Herbicides are sometimes used to remove willows from riparian
areas, but current environmental constraints make this practice
uncommon. Results are erratic, due to high variability within
populations and the ability of Bebb willow to rapidly sprout from
undamaged root crowns [18].

Bebb willow has been rated as fair in energy value and poor in protein
value [9]. Leaves and twigs collected from northeastern Minnesota had
the following energy and nutrient values (percent dry weight) [16]:

June August Sept Dec
(leaves/twigs) (leaves) (leaves) (twigs)
---------------------------------------------------------
Energy (cal/g) ---/4,740 4,838 --- 5,094
Ash 4.9/6.2 5.7 5.2 2.1
Protein 17.9/9.7 11.5 9.4 6.3
Ether extract 3.6/2.1 3.7 4.6 4.8
Crude fiber 11.4/23.8 12.2 13.6 29.6
N-free extract 62.2/58.3 66.9 67.2 57.3

Nutrient composition (percent) of Bebb willow bark collected in the
spring from Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, was as follows
[29]:

Neutral detergent fiber: 35.5
Acid detergent fiber: 34.4
Lignin: 13.1
Cellulose: 20.4
Ash: 2.8
In vitro dry matter digestibility: 45.0
Crude Protein: 3.8
Phosphorus: 0.1
Calcium: 0.8

AK AZ CA CO CT ID IL IN IA ME
MD MI MN MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY
OR PA RI SD UT VT WI WY AB BC
LB MB NB NF NT NS ON PE PQ SK
YT

Bebb willow was formerly used for baseball bats, charcoal, and gunpowder
[41]. Native Americans used the flexible willow stems for baskets,
arrow shafts, scoops, and fish traps. Willows provided medicine for
many ailments such as cuts, indigestion, worms, and stomach complaints
[23].

Bebb willow has been rated as highly palatable to livestock, big game,
and beaver [23,45]. Willow (Salix spp.) palatability increases as the
season progresses [40]. The relish and degree of use shown by livestock
and wildlife species for Bebb willow in several western states is rated
as follows [9]:

CO MT ND UT WY

Cattle Fair ---- Fair Fair Fair
Sheep Fair ---- Fair Fair Good
Horses Fair ---- Poor Fair Poor
Pronghorn ---- ---- ---- Poor Poor
Elk ---- ---- ---- Good Good
Mule Deer ---- ---- ---- Fair Good
White-tailed deer Good Fair ---- ---- ----
Small mammals ---- ---- ---- Fair Good
Small nongame birds ---- ---- ---- Fair Good
Upland game birds ---- ---- ---- Poor Good
Waterfowl ---- ---- ---- Poor Poor

More info on this topic.

More info for the terms: fruit, seed

In general, Bebb willow flowers from April through July or August
[9,15,41]. The fruit ripens soon after flowering, followed by seed
dispersal [15,41]. Blooming dates for several western states are as
follows [9]:

Utah: April-July
Colorado: May-August
Wyoming: June-August
Montana: April-June
North Dakota: April-May

More info for the terms: forest, herbaceous, presence, seed

Bebb willow will sprout vigorously from the basal stem following fire
[17,18,35]. Quick hot fires will maximize sprouting [17,18]. The light
seeds readily colonize exposed mineral soil after hot fires. Bebb
willow usually becomes the dominant species in willow stands that follow
forest fires on upland sites and in thickets adjacent to streams,
swamps, and lakes of interior Alaska [41]. The degree to which this
species invades after fire, however, depends on the time of year,
weather, and presence of a mineral seedbed. A wet period after seed
dispersal allows for germination, but a dry period can cause enough seed
viability loss to prevent germination. The chance of Bebb willow
establishing after a fire lessens as available mineral soil seedbeds
become occupied by faster growing herbaceous species and mosses [42].

More info for the terms: caudex, root crown, seed

survivor species; on-site surviving root crown or caudex
off-site colonizer; seed carried by wind; postfire years 1 and 2
off-site colonizer; seed carried by animals or water; postfire yr 1&2

More info for the terms: layering, root collar, seed

Sexual reproduction: Male and female flowers of Bebb willow are borne
on separate individuals. Bebb willow starts flowering from 2 to 10
years of age, with optimum seed-producing years from 10 to 30
[17,18,45]. Bees are the chief pollinating agents [15]. Large
quantities of lightweight seed (approximately 2 to 3 million per pound
[4.4-6.6 million/kg]) [15] are produced and dispersed in the spring, but
seeds remain viable for only a few days [8,17,18,45]. Seeds do not
require a period of dormancy prior to germination, but successful
establishment requires a moist, exposed mineral substrate that receives
full sunlight. These conditions are best on recent deposits of alluvial
silts and gravels along waterways or in silted-in, abandoned beaver
ponds [8,17,18,45]. Bebb willow seed germination in Alaska was 90 to
100 percent at temperatures between 41 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit (5-25
deg C). This adaptation to a wide range of temperatures is particularly
important in interior Alaska, where surface soil temperatures may vary
over a relatively wide range [46].

Vegetative reproduction: Bebb willow will establish by root shoots and
basal stem sprouting [17,45]. Stem and root fragments root naturally if
buried in moist soil. Damaged and cut stems produce prolific sprouts
from the stem base or root collar. Layering also occurs readily if
branches become buried [17].

More info on this topic.

This species can be found in the following regions of the western United States (according to the Bureau of Land Management classification of Physiographic Regions of the western United States):

3 Southern Pacific Border
4 Sierra Mountains
5 Columbia Plateau
6 Upper Basin and Range
8 Northern Rocky Mountains
9 Middle Rocky Mountains
10 Wyoming Basin
11 Southern Rocky Mountains
12 Colorado Plateau
13 Rocky Mountain Piedmont
15 Black Hills Uplift
16 Upper Missouri Basin and Broken Lands

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Bebb willow is a pioneer species and once established may persist in
areas with moist site conditions or frequent disturbance such as fire or
flooding. Channel changes that reduce the availability of water may
prevent successful germination and establishment of Bebb willow within
established stands. Bebb willow has low shade tolerance and therefore
loses dominance on sites as the more shade-tolerant species such as
black cottonwood, quaking aspen, and Engelmann spruce become established
[11,18,19,27].

More info for the term: fern

The currently accepted scientific name for Bebb willow is Salix bebbiana
Sarg. Recognized varieties are as follows [2,5,26,45]:

Salix bebbiana var. bebbiana
Salix bebbiana var. penrostrata (Rydb.) Schneid.
Salix bebbiana var. depilis (Rays)
Salix bebbiana var. projecta (Fern.) Schneid.
Salix bebbiana var. capreifolia (Fern.) Fern.
Salix bebbiana var. luxerians (Fern.) Fern.

More info for the terms: hardwood, seed

Bebb willow is a relatively good soil stabilizer and is valuable for
revegetating streambanks and other disturbed sites [4,45]. Bebb willow
readily invades mine spoil piles and has been observed invading barren
acid soils near Sudbury, Ontario, particularly after such soils were
treated with lime and phosphate [45].

Bebb willow cuttings should be planted on sites that have sufficient
moisture to start and carry the cuttings through the growing season
[44]. Cuttings are best taken in the spring from dormant 2- to
4-year-old wood [4,21]. Cuttings 12 to 20 inches (30-50 cm) long and
greater than 0.4 inch (1 cm) in diameter produce best results, with the
cuttings rooting freely along the entire length of the stem. Roots and
shoots from cuttings can be expected to appear 10 to 20 days after
planting. Using root cuttings and nursery-grown stock will produce the
best results [4]. Bebb willow hardwood stem cuttings had a survival
rate of 30 to 70 percent on mine overburden in northern Alberta.
Mortality was largely attributed to rodent damage. It had poor
overwintering ability on oil sand tailings [45].

Bebb willow seed is not available from commercial sources because it is
generally viable for only a few days. The maximum period of storage is
4 to 6 weeks, but viability is markedly reduced after 10 days for seed
stored at room temperature [45].

The wood of Bebb willow is medium hard, fine grained, lightweight, and
brittle [36,41]. Bebb willow is the most important producer of "diamond
willow". This term applies to several species with diamond-shaped
patterns on their trunks. When the stems are carved they result in a
pattern of diamond-shaped cavities with a sharp contrast between the
white sapwood and the reddish brown heartwood. Bebb willow is carved
into canes, lamp posts, furniture, and candle holders [41].