Black Willow
Salix nigra
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Black willow grows widely throughout the eastern United States and in adjacent regions of Canada and Mexico. It prefers moist to wet soils. Black willow is shade intolerant.
Fruit: A small, reddish-brown capsule containing hundreds of small seeds. They ripen and fall from April to July.
Flowers: Black willow flowers at vastly different times according to region, between February and late June.
Uses: The wood stains and finishes well, so it is often used for crates, woodturning pieces, tabletops, and toys. It's an effective tree for erosion control.
Ethnobotany: The bark and leaves of black willow were recognized in ancient times as a treatment for rheumatism. American settlers would boil the bark for its purgative powers. The salicin in black willow was isolated in 1829 for its aspirin-like qualities.
Importance to wildlife: Birds eat the catkins, deer eat the twigs and leaves, rodents eat the bark and buds, and yellow-bellied sapsuckers feed on the sap. The tree is a larval host for many species.
The bark of a black willow. Mature bark is thick, very rough, often shaggy, and dark brown to nearly black.
A single leaf on a black willow. Leaves are 6-15 cm long, extremely narrow, long-pointed at the apex, often curved like a scythe, very finely toothed, and green and lustrous on both sides.
The leaf arrangement on a black willow. Leaves are alternate and simple.
The lateral bud of a black willow. Buds are glabrous, reddish brown, and and usually 3 mm or less.
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