Black Willow
© Karan A. Rawlins, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
Salix nigra
Family: Salicaceae (Willow Family)
Black Willow is a fast-growing tree. It is one of the best plants to stabilize banks along levees to prevent erosion. Its natural habitat includes bottomlands and areas with wet soil.
- Scientific Name: Salix nigra
- Common Names: Black Willow, Gulf Black Willow, Swamp Willow
- Family: Salicaceae (Willow Family)
- Growth Habit: Tree with open crown. Often multiple trunks.
- Height: 60-80 feet
- Leaves: Lanceolate, ovate
- Flowers: Green
- Bloom Time: February through April
- Wildlife Benefits: Magnet for spring migrants who are attracted to the small insects found among the flowers. Hummingbirds collect the silken threads on willow seeds as nesting material. Larval host for many butterflies and moths, including mourning cloak, viceroy, red-spotted purple, and tiger swallowtail. Used extensively by herons and other waterbirds as a nesting site.
