Can anyone identify this tree?

[eleny]

It's growing along an irrigation ditch that runs 6 months a year in our neighborhood west of Denver. Looks like it can grow in a clump or not. It's got such a pretty shape and is not very tall - maybe 15-20 ft high. The inset is a closeup of the leaves. I thought it might be a willow but can't find anything by Googling. There a couple of clumps growing along the street.

Thanks for looking.

[blue neen]

1. It kind of looks like a Russian Olive.

They don't get really huge and have been known to grow in that area.

http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/elan1.htm

[eleny]

3. Those leaves are a match to the Russian Olive, for sure

What throws me off the Russian Olive, which is popular here, is the shape of the tree. Russian Olives are less symmetrical. The ones around the corner are naturally rounded. But maybe they're a variety of the RO.

Thanks for your reply! Now I have a place to start. Before, I was hunting for willows and getting nowhere.

[eleny]

2. oops

[TygrBright]

4. Looks like a russian olive

They are pretty trees but can get weedy. And they are waterhogs. We recently passed an ordinance against planting them within some distance of a water source, here in Santa Fe. They'd sucker and spread along the banks of rivers and acequias and crowd out native vegetation and keep wildlife from accessing the watercourses.

However, as a single specimen in a place where they can't really get out of control, I wouldn't see any harm in them.

diffidently,
Bright

[LiberalEsto]

5. Some kind of willow?

Maybe white willow.

[eleny]

6. It's a Globe Willow!

These are popular on our western slope around Grand Junction. I remember seeing them years ago. But I didn't think they'd do well here since we don't have the long warm nights on the front range.

I spoke with a landscaper today and he said it was a globe willow and that they're getting popular over here. They grow fast but aren't all very tall as most willows.

Since we have a small pasture with irrigation water on 3 of the 5 sides of that piece of ground, and no water pipes nearby to invade, this willow might work for us.

Thanks to everyone who replied!

[Arkansas Granny]

7. It certainly looks like a Russian Olive. Here's a fact sheet I found.

http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pdf/elan1.pdf

[XemaSab]

8. What do the seeds/flowers look like?

:shrug: