Black Willow
Salix nigra
Salix nigra
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.