← Bedfellow

Black Willow

Salix nigra

Largest native willow — a true tree, not shrub. Rough dark furrowed bark. Critical streambank stabilizer; host plant for viceroy and mourning cloak butterflies. Bark is the original source of salicylic acid (aspirin).

Family

Salicaceae

Type

tree

Lifespan

perennial

Height

30–60 ft

Spacing

30–60 ft apart

Light

sun, part shade, shade

Soil moisture

moist

Soil pH

acidic, neutral, alkaline

Bloom

February, March, April, May, June, July

Bloom colors

yellow

Wildlife value

songbirds, butterflies, larval host

Caterpillar hosts

~455 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

specimen, rain garden

Native states

AL, AR, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV