Willow, Black
Salix nigra
Salicaceae - Willow

Description

See also Peachleaf Willow description.

Leaves: Alternate; simple; leaves similar to peachleaf willow, but can be a little longer; bright green above and pale green beneath; deciduous.

Twigs/buds: Light yellow, reddish-brown, or purplish-brown initially, hairy; grayish and hairless when older. Buds yellowish-brown to brown, shiny; rather short, pointy, narrow, and cone-shaped.

Flowers/fruit: Flowers dioecious; female catkins greenish; male catkins can be bright yellow; occur from early spring to April and June. Fruit light brown, in egg-shaped to cone-shaped capsules, hairless; capsules 1/4" in length; stalks short; seeds small with tufts of hair.

Bark: Brown to nearly black; thick on older trees; intertwining ridges.

Wood: Moderately important; sapwood white; heartwood light brown to red-brown; growth rings unclear; diffuse-porous; rays barely visible with a hand lens; used for pulp, charcoal, and lumber.

General: Native to most of the eastern U.S.; not Utah. Usually found on moist soils along the banks of streams and lakes. Usually tree-like; rarely shrubby. Grows rapidly and matures in 50 to 70 years. Can get very large-much larger than most North American willows. Very shade intolerant. Some sources claim that black willow is native here and there throughout the West, but this seems unlikely and may have been due to mis-identification.

Landscape Use: Probably planted a lot in pioneer landscapes in Utah and may have escaped cultivation. Little planted otherwise. Zones 4-9.

Comments & Limitations: Weak wood and/or branch structure. Prefers abundant water.

Characteristics

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