Decline in willow tree in West Virginia
June 15, 2008
I planted a willow tree about three years ago and it was progressing just beautifully with full leaves this spring in a nice green color. We staked it back about three weeks so it would grow straight...
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Salix nigra, the black willow, is a species of willow native to eastern North America, from New Brunswick and southern Ontario west to Minnesota, and south to northern Florida and Texas.[2]
Black willow is part of the Salicaceae, the willow family.[9] The accepted name for black willow is: Salix nigra Marshall. Marshall, the "Father of American Dendrology",[9] first described this taxon in 1785.
Salix gooddingii (Goodding's willow) is sometimes considered a variety of S. nigra as S. nigra var. vallicola Dudley; when recognized, this extends the range of S. nigra to western North America. However, the two are usually treated as distinct species.[10] Some other related taxa and synonyms are S. nigra var. altissima, S. nigra var. brevijulis, S. nigra var. longifolia, S. nigra var. marginata, and S. nigra var. wardii.[11]
Another name occasionally used for black willow is "swamp willow", not to be confused with Salix myrtilloides (swamp willow). Other common names include "Goodding willow", "southwestern black willow", "Dudley willow", and "sauz" (a Spanish word).[12]
Salix nigra is dioecious, which means it has separate male and female trees.[13] Flowering may be climate dependent. It flowers during February in the southern part of its range, and flowers until June in the northern parts. These trees are capable of producing seeds when they are around the age of 10 years. The black willow continuously has good seed crops year after year, with only a few failures. The seeds require very specific conditions to germinate. They prefer soil that is very wet or flooded. After they germinate, they can experience excellent growth if they are exposed to high sunlight and copious moisture during the growing season.[14]
Black willow are capable of developing special features related to flood tolerance to help them survive in flooded habitats.[1] Under flooded conditions, black willow develop hypertrophied lenticels and water roots. Black willows are also sensitive to drought conditions. Black willows living in drought conditions experience inhibition of their branch and root growth.[15]
According to the National Register of Big Trees, the largest black willow tree in the US is in Hennepin, Minnesota. Its height is 63 feet (19 m), circumference is 32 feet (9.8 m) and spread is 73 feet (22 m).[citation needed]
Black willow roots are very bitter, and have been used as a substitute for quinine in the past.[18] Ethnobotanical uses of black willow by various Native American tribes include basketry, and treatment of fever, headache, and coughs.[19] It was recognized that using the bark and leaves of Salix nigra was useful in treating rheumatism.
The black willow is the only United States native willow species to be used as timber for a variety of different items. Black willow lumber is used in furniture and shipping containers. The largest production site for black willow timber was in Louisiana at its peak during the 1970s.[20]
It may also be used in environmental restoration. Black willow is very resistant to herbivory, flooding, and is an erosion control tool. Salix nigra is used for marshland stabilization or restoration projects as long as the roots don't penetrate any clay liner that may be in place.[22][23] Salix nigra demonstrated some success as a photodegradation tool.[24] Photodegradation is theorized to work by drawing the target chemical, such as Bentazon, up the roots and stem into the leaves where it is degraded by higher energy radiation provided by the sun.[24]
Black willows are susceptible to diseases such as Crown gall and Cankers. Crown gall is caused by bacteria living in the soil where the black willow is present. When black willow are infected, the bacteria stimulate a quick burst in growth of plant cells. They cause the tree to form tumor-like growths, or "galls" on different parts of the tree such as their roots or on the lower branches. As these galls get bigger, they become hard, woody, brown in color, and corky. Black willows do not normally die from crown galls. However, these galls can cause a disruption in the flow of nutrients throughout the tree and can have its normal growth stunted or slowed down due to this disease. Crown galls are less problematic in soils that are more acidic, thus soil pH can be an important factor in helping to limit this disease.[25]
Black canker disease is caused by the fungus Glomerella miyabeana. This disease starts as spotting on the leaves of the black willow, where it then spreads to the petiole and eventually the twig or branch holding the leaf. It then forms black patches on the stem of the tree that are capable of expanding. Black Willows that are in nutrient-poor locations or that are experiencing poor temporary climate conditions (such as a temporary lack of rainfall or short, drought-like conditions) are considered stressed and very susceptible to the spread of these cankers. Tissue on the black willow that is affected by these cankers will not grow with the rest of the tree, and cracks will begin to form.[26]
The black willow grows in consistently moist to wet soils in full sun to part shade. It is tolerant of many soil types so long as ample moisture is present. It is tolerant of flooding and silting. It has a shallow, spreading root system that is good for stabilizing soils and makes the tree an effective selection for erosion control. Soils should not be allowed to dry out. It prefers full sun. Avoid full shade. Prune as needed in late winter to early spring.
The bark of black willow is dark brown to black, developing deep grooves and a rough texture with shaggy scales as it ages. The wood is soft and weak, but is used for building crates, the cores of furniture, wooden utensils, and formerly used for building prosthetics.
Black willow is generally not recommended for use as a specimen in residential landscapes because of its susceptibility to breakage, potential insect/disease problems, need for soils that never dry out, litter problems, shallow spreading root system which may seek out water/sewer pipes, and mature size potential. In the right location, its shallow roots can act as a quality soil binder, providing excellent erosion control.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Insects that may be a problem include tent caterpillars, willow sawfly, leaf beetles, aphids, and stem/twig borers. Disease problems include blights, powdery mildew, leaf spots, crown gall, and cankers. Litter from leaves, twigs, and branches cause a lot of maintenance. Shallow roots can clog sewers or drains if trees are sited in improper locations. Wood is soft and weak and tends to crack in wind, ice, or snow. Do not allow soils to dry out.
Black willow (Salix nigra) is the largest and the only commercially important willow of about 90 species native to North America. It is more distinctly a tree throughout its range than any other native willow; 27 species attain tree size in only part of their range (3). Other names sometimes used are swamp willow, Goodding willow, southwestern black willow, Dudley willow, and sauz (Spanish). This short-lived, fast-growing tree reaches its maximum size and development in the lower Mississippi River Valley and bottom lands of the Gulf Coastal Plain (4). Stringent requirements of seed germination and seedling establishment limit black willow to wet soils near water courses (5), especially floodplains, where it often grows in pure stands. Black willow is used for a variety of wooden products and the tree, with its dense root system, is excellent for stabilizing eroding lands.
Black willow is found throughout the Eastern United States and adjacent parts of Canada and Mexico. The range extends from southern New Brunswick and central Maine west in Quebec, southern Ontario, and central Michigan to southeastern Minnesota; south and west to the Rio Grande just below its confluence with the Pecos River; and east along the gulf coast, through the Florida panhandle and southern Georgia. Some authorities consider Salix gooddingii as a variety of S. nigra, which extends the range to the Western United States (3,9).
The climate in which black willow grows best is characterized by an average rainfall of 1300 mm (51 in). Approximately 500 mm (20 in) of this occurs during the effective growing season, April through August. The average maximum temperature is 34Â C (93Â F) in the summer and 15Â C (59Â F) in the winter. In parts of its range, black willow survives extremes of 46Â to -50Â C (115Â to -58Â F). Geographic distribution appears to be independent of temperature (4,7).
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