Salinity is a major abiotic stress worldwide. Along with natural causes like rain fall and rock sedimentation, human activities, such as artificial irrigation, dam construction, changes in land use and poor management techniques have led to increased salinity levels in soil. As a result a vast area of the world's land has become unusable for cultivation or other human use purposes and crop production has been affected dramatically. This study investigates the salt tolerance and restoration potential of a Southern California native willow tree, Salix laevigata (Red Willow). Asexually propagated cuttings were grown in soilless medium in greenhouse conditions. Vermiculite was used as growth medium and NaCl diluted in water was used as treatment. Different concentrations of NaC1 were used based on previous studies on different species of Salix.

Pretreatment and acclimation effect on salt tolerance of Red Willows were studied. This preliminary study suggests that Salix laevigata has very low salt tolerance. However, pretreatment and acclimation may increase the chances of survival for the Red Willows.