Five years’ storage of seeds from three willow species

Seeds of Salix bebbiana Sarg., S. discolor Muhl., and S. eriocephala Michx. (Salicaceae) were stored at 2 moisture contents (low, 5.1 to 7.3% and high, 8.5 to 9.8%) and 4 temperatures (4, –20, –80, and –145 °C [39, –4, –112, –229 °F]) for 60 mo. Seeds stored at 4 °C lost most or all viability by 24 mo. We observed no significant difference in germination between the 2 seed moisture contents for each species. After 60 mo of subzero storage, germination of S. bebbiana seeds declined from 89 to 83%, S. discolor from 60 to 54%, and S. eriocephala from 71 to 54%.