Pacific willow, shining willow, whiplash willow. My first attempt at guessing the species of this tree was black willow. Native to eastern North America, I thought it was unlikely to be that exact species, although I know a lot a migration of introduced species has happened. Looking at “Native Trees of Canada,” a 1956 handbook passed down to me, I discovered the most likely native willow species: the pacific willow. It loves to grow in marshy ground as do a lot of willows. I have seen these trees all around the lake, with different shapes and sizes but with the same leaves, which twist slightly to one side at the tips. The bark is rough and dark, and some trees have young shoots starting from the ground or low on the trunk. I want to revisit these trees in the spring when the young leaves and flowers come out!
This is my first acrylic/canvas artwork in this project, and I think it worked well for the subject! I’m looking forward to painting more of these plants and animals.
Specimen recorded July 24, 2020, 18:11 across the trail from the alder tree (004).
Art by Nelson Spies, November 11, 2020. Acrylic on primed canvas sheet.
Park Canvass 
One thought on “BBY006 :: Salix lucida ssp. lasiandra”