ASHS 2025 Conference

Salix pellita (satiny willow) is a state-threatened shrub willow species which is native to Minnesota and offers appealing ornamental traits. The natural distribution of this taxon in Minnesota is limited primarily by habitat loss. Because the disjunct populations of this species in Minnesota are in decline and because no prior efforts have been made to conserve this taxon, horticultural practices and cultivation could offer a preservation outlet for satiny willow. Prior to this project, Salix pellita was not represented in any germplasm repository in the United States. This study uses GBS (genotyping by sequencing) to characterize diversity among, between, and within wild collected Salix pellita populations from Minnesota, Michigan, and New Hampshire. Diversity metrics Fis, Fst , pairwise Fst and He were used to categorize genetic diversity. High Fis was found within most populations, which can be attributed to population isolation and small population size. Pairwise Fst between state populations (MN-MI, MN-NH, MI-NH) showed high levels of genetic differentiation, which can be attributed to the lack of gene flow between these populations. Ultimately, these metrics will be used to establish a genetically diverse ex situ collection of Salix pellita.