Planeleaf willow occupies different habitats.
At high elevations, it grows in middle and upper
subalpine zones dominated by Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii),
subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta)
and in alpine zones above timberline. It commonly forms thickets along
stream and lake margins, in wet meadows and seep areas, and on slopes
kept moist by melting snow [2,7,22,30]. These sites are usually wet,
with water tables at or near the surface [7,34]. Soils may be mineral
or organic. Mineral soils are clayey-, silty-, or sandy-textured and
overlain by a shallow, organic surface layer [7]. On marshy sites peat
may be up to 12 inches (30 cm) or more thick [22,30]. Associates
include Wolff willow (Salix wolfii), undergreen willow (S. commutata),
Drummond willow (S. drummondiana), grayleaf willow (S. glauca), bog
birch (Betula glandulosa), water sedge (Carex aquatilis), beaked sedge
(C. rostrata), mountain sedge (C. scopulorum), tufted hairgrass
(Deschampsia cespitosa), bluejoint reedgrass (Calamagrostis canadensis),
marshmarigold (Caltha leptosepala), heartleaf bittercress (Cardamine
cordifolia), and arrowleaf groundsel (Senecio triangularis)
[22,28,30,34].
Planeleaf willow also occurs at middle elevations in the West, primarily in
the Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and sagebrush (Artemisia spp.)
zones [7]. It generally occurs scattered in other willow-dominated
communities along the banks of streams, ponds, and lakes and in wet
meadows and marshes. Associated willows in the West include Geyer
willow (S. geyeriana), Drummond willow, and Bebb willow (S. bebbiana)
[7]. Soils are usually mineral, with textures varying from sands to
clays [18]. Water tables are often near the surface in the spring, but
may drop to more than 39 inches (1 m) by midsummer [18]. In Ontario,
this variety grows in cool, moist habitats along lakes and streams, in
black spruce (Picea mariana) bogs, northern white-cedar (Thuja
occidentalis) swamps, and marshes [42].
Elevational ranges for several western states are presented below
[7,9,15,21,33,49]:
State Elevational Range
CA from 8,000 to 12,500 feet (2,440-3,811 m)
CO from 8,000 to 13,000 feet (2,440-3,963 m) (var. monica)
c ID above 8,000 feet (2,440 m) (var. monica)
c ID from 5,500 to 7,700 feet (1,677-2,348 m) (var. planifolia)
MT from 3,700 to 10,200 feet (1,128-3,109 m)
SD, Black from 5,000 to 6,500 feet (1,524-1,982 m)
Hills
UT from 7,400 to 12,000 feet (2,255-3,660 m)
WY from 6,500 to 11,500 feet (1,982-3,506 m)
