Trees that accumulate metals are important plants for restoring contaminated soil because of their high biomass. We examined the cadmium (Cd) tolerance and growth rate of six willow (Salix) species common in Japan. To characterize in detail the localization of Cd and its ligands, synchrotron radiation-based micro X-ray fluorescence analysis was used. This revealed the accumulation of cadmium at the tips of the serrations in leaves, and the phellogen and/or the phelloderm under the stem surface. -X-ray absorption near edge structure spectra of Cd in all the accumulation sites were similar to that of the Cd ion coordinated by O ligands in S. gilgiana.