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Plant
Identification
Willow
 Description Management
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Photos
Salix
nigra
Willows can be small bushes
to large trees up to 70 feet tall. Leaves are bright green above and
pale-green beneath, alternate, simple, lance-shaped (2 to 6 inches
long and 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide), finely toothed and attached to the
stem by a short petiole. Flowers are small, borne in a catkin spike
and develop in early spring as leaves develop. Willows can spread aggressively
around ponds and should be kept off the dams or levees. All trees should
be kept off dams because their roots can penetrate the core and make
them leak and they have high evaporation rates.
Submerged portions of
all aquatic plants provide habitats for many micro and macro
invertebrates. These invertebrates in turn are used as food by
fish and other wildlife species (e.g. amphibians, reptiles, ducks,
etc.). After aquatic plants die, their decomposition by bacteria
and fungi provides food (called "detritus") for many aquatic invertebrates. Willows are used as nesting sites for many species of birds. Leaves and buds of willows are consumed by some birds and mammals.
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" indicates Non-Native plants.