Justicia americana
USDA, NRCS. 2018. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 28 March 2018). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
What is American Water Willow?
Physical Characteristics
- Up to 3.28 feet tall
Leaves:
- Linear or sword-shaped
- Thin at base
- Up to 6.29 inches long & 0.98 inches wide
Flowers:
- Spikes up to 1.18 inches long
- Sepals form a whorl around the petals
- Sepals about 0.27 inches long
- Flower violet or white in color
- 0.39-0.47 inches long
Fruit:
- Dry
- About 0.47 inches long
- Extend farther than the flower
Seeds:
- 4 seeded
- Brilliantly polished
- 0.11 inches long & 0.07 inches wide
Stem:
- Upright
- Simple
Roots:
- Rooting below stem
Where Does it Grow?
American water willow can be found in shallow water and mud.
Pros and Cons of American Water Willow
Deer will browse the leaves; while beaver, muskrat, and nutria will consume the rhizomes of water willow. 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.