Plants sometimes multistemmed. Stems: branches yellow-brown or red-brown, not glaucous, glabrous; branchlets yellow-brown or red-brown, densely pubescent or tomentose. Leaves: stipules absent or rudimentary on early ones; petiole shallowly grooved adaxially, 2-5 mm, tomentose or velvety adaxially; largest medial blade linear, narrowly oblong, narrowly oblanceolate, or narrowly elliptic, 5-160 × 3-10(-20) mm, base cuneate, margins strongly or slightly revolute, entire or serrulate, (glands submarginal or epilaminal), apex acuminate or acute, abaxial surface glaucous, densely tomentose or woolly, (midribs yellowish, prominent), hairs appressed, curved, adaxial dull or slightly glossy, sparsely pubescent to glabrescent; proximal blade margins entire; juvenile blade yellowish green, densely tomentose abaxially, hairs white or gray. Catkins flowering just before or as leaves emerge; staminate stout or slender, 26-34 × 6-10 mm, flowering branchlet 1-1.5 mm; pistillate moderately to very densely flowered, slender or stout, 19-40 × 3-10 mm, flowering branchlet 0.3-3.5 mm; floral bract light brown or tawny, 1.5-4 mm, apex rounded, truncate, or acute, entire or toothed, abaxially hairy, hairs straight. Staminate flowers: adaxial nectary oblong or square, 0.3-0.9 mm; filaments connate less or more than 1/2 their lengths; anthers yellow, 0.5-0.7 mm. Pistillate flowers: adaxial nectary oblong or square, 0.3-0.7 mm; ovary obclavate, beak gradually tapering to styles; ovules 2 per ovary; styles 0.7-0.9 mm. Capsules 3-5 mm. 2n = 38.

Flowering Apr-mid May. Cultivated; 0-200 m; introduced; N.S., Ont., Que.; Conn., Maine, Mass., S.C., Wis.; Europe.

Occurrence of naturalized Salix elaeagnos in the flora area is based on late nineteenth and early twentieth century collections. There is no evidence that it is now either cultivated or naturalized.