Mackenzie Willow

Mackenzie willow (*Salix prolixa*) is a multi-stemmed shrub native to riparian landscapes of western North America. It is suited to stream margins and moist alluvial terraces, where its roots help stabilize banks and its stems provide food and cover for wildlife. ### Form and habitat The [USDA NRCS plant guide](https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_sapr3.pdf) describes a coarse, multi-stemmed shrub about 6 to 30 feet tall, with catkins that usually appear alongside new leaves. Leaves are green above and pale beneath. Its natural form needs room to spread and is most at home beside waterways or in restoration plantings rather than a small, dry garden bed. ### Siting Mackenzie willow grows along rocky streams and rivers and on moist alluvial terraces. The USDA guide notes that it adapts to soil textures from gravel to silt loam and is most productive where available water is moderate to high. It can be used for riparian restoration, wildlife cover and streambank stabilization. Dense stands also provide nesting and feeding sites for songbirds. ## Maintenance Keep young plantings moist while they establish and protect stems from browsing by beavers or rodents where needed. Avoid heavy grazing around new willows; established plants recover well when browsing pressure is excluded. The [USDA NRCS guide](https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_sapr3.pdf) documents propagation from hardwood cuttings and seed.