Leaf back glabrous and glaucous; ovaries glabrous; stipules foliaceous; floral bracts persistent, brown; juvenile leaves reddish; catkins sessile; branches reddish brown; styles ~1 mm; leaf margin glandular-crenate; leaves broadly elliptic; stipes ~1.5 mm max.
In March I made this observation and thought this would turn out to be S. discolor, based on the height of the shrub and the old leaves (they don't look hairy or textured).
Turns out, it is a gnarly old half-dead S. bebbiana!
https://inaturalist.ca/observations/123409502
I have included pics in the June obs. of some of the old leaves still attached for comparison with the fresh leaves and with the old leaves I photographed in March.
Same patch in March:
https://inaturalist.ca/observations/109705462
I've included new pics here of some old leaves still on the plant to compare with the old leaves I photographed in March. Interesting how the texture and the pubescence of the fresh leaves is no longer visible in late winter.
Same shrub in March:
https://inaturalist.ca/observations/109704919