- The United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile lists 174 species of willow that are found across the United States. The willow is a relatively short-lived tree. It is known to survive for 75 years on average, with some approaching 100. The soft wood is easy to work with but makes the tree susceptible to fungal and bacterial diseases which can invite rot. Decay is a common reason the trees succumb. They prefer to live where there is plenty of moisture, which only hastens the decay process.
- All six Diamond willow species are in the Salix genus and are found across the U.S. Salix bebbiana is one of the willows and there is a variation of the tree that also gets the fungal disease. The other species are Salix pseudomonticola, arbusculoides, scoleriana, discolor and alaxensis. There is an old sample of the wood taken from the Bebb willow that was 146 years old but that life span is likely the exception rather than the rule. The longevity of these willows is determined by health and growing conditions as well as species.
- Diamond willow is caused by the formation of cankers in response to the fungal attack. On small stems the diamond pattern is not evident but in larger branches and the trunk the formation is perfect. The shape of the diamond varies by species. Some have an elongated shape and others have a more squat, almost square, diamond. Afflicted tissue grows "away" from the fungus and produces more tissue underneath to protect the sapwood from the disease. This adds years to the life of the willow but produces distorted stems. The cankers become a darker, thicker type of material when compared to the soft, almost white, healthy willow tissue.
- The Copper River in Alaska is a common location for diamond willow wood. It is also found in the Great Plains and into Canada. Willows tend to grow near water sources. Diamond willow formations can be found in trees near bogs, rivers and other waterways. They are found anywhere that growth is slow and dense. The slow growth around the canker makes the wood into a hardwood which cannot be easily replaced. Some diamond willows are almost 150 years old and removal of a branch can damage the tree. A piece of diamond willow only 2 inches in diameter may be fifty years of age, illustrating the slow production of the wood.
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