Intro:

Stems: Pith continuous. Young twigs (1-year-old or less) brown or green or orange or purple or red or reddish-brown or yellow, 1-3 mm wide, glabrous or glabrate or pubescent, pilose. Twigs (2-4 years old) glabrous or pubescent. Leaf scars V-shaped, bundle scars 3 per leaf scar, stipule scars inconspicuous or absent. Bark of mature trunks exfoliating or flaky or furrowed or ridged. Buds axillary, reddish-brown, 2-4 mm long, sharp, bud scales single scale.

Leaves: Leaves deciduous, simple, petiolate, alternate, distichous, (2-)5-15 cm long, (0.3-)0.5-1.5(-2) cm wide, falcate or lanceolate, leaf margins serrate or serrulate, leaf apices acuminate, leaf bases cuneate or obtuse or rounded. Leaf upper surface green, glabrous or glabrate or pubescent. Leaf lower surface green, glabrous or glabrate or pubescent or with tufts in vein axils. Leaf venation pinnate. Petioles 0.2-1 cm long, pubescent, glandular. Stipules present, caducous or persistent, blade-like.

Inforescence: Inflorescences axillary or terminal, catkins, flowers sessile.

Flowers: Flowers unisexual or pistillate or staminate. Perianth. Calyx absent. Corolla absent. Androecium. Stamens 3-7 per flower. Gynoecium. Ovaries superior, pistils 1 per flower. Gynoecium syncarpous, 2 carpels per flower, styles 1 per pistil, styles 0.2 mm long.

Fruits: Fruits capsules, 0.3-0.8 cm long, reddish-brown, fruit maturation 1 years.

Comments: Leaves the same green color on both upper and lower surfaces; young twigs breaking easily at the base; the minute seeds with long, white, silky hairs.

Height: to 60 ft

plant sale text: Black willow is fast growing and frequently produces multiple trunks. Its dense but shallow root systems are effective soil-binders and help stabilize soils against erosion. The wood is soft and its dark, almost black bark develops grooves and a rough texture as the tree ages. The inner bark of the tree produces salicylic acid, the naturally occurring form of Aspirin. Native peoples of North America used the plant medicinally for fever and pain relief.

bloom table text:

description:

stems: Pith continuous. Young twigs (1-year-old or less) brown or green or orange or purple or red or reddish-brown or yellow, 1-3 mm wide, glabrous or glabrate or pubescent, pilose. Twigs (2-4 years old) glabrous or pubescent. Leaf scars V-shaped, bundle scars 3 per leaf scar, stipule scars inconspicuous or absent. Bark of mature trunks exfoliating or flaky or furrowed or ridged. Buds axillary, reddish-brown, 2-4 mm long, sharp, bud scales single scale.

leaves: Leaves deciduous, simple, petiolate, alternate, distichous, (2-)5-15 cm long, (0.3-)0.5-1.5(-2) cm wide, falcate or lanceolate, leaf margins serrate or serrulate, leaf apices acuminate, leaf bases cuneate or obtuse or rounded. Leaf upper surface green, glabrous or glabrate or pubescent. Leaf lower surface green, glabrous or glabrate or pubescent or with tufts in vein axils. Leaf venation pinnate. Petioles 0.2-1 cm long, pubescent, glandular. Stipules present, caducous or persistent, blade-like.

inflorescence: Inflorescences axillary or terminal, catkins, flowers sessile.

flowers: Flowers unisexual or pistillate or staminate. Perianth. Calyx absent. Corolla absent. Androecium. Stamens 3-7 per flower. Gynoecium. Ovaries superior, pistils 1 per flower. Gynoecium syncarpous, 2 carpels per flower, styles 1 per pistil, styles 0.2 mm long.

fruits: Fruits capsules, 0.3-0.8 cm long, reddish-brown, fruit maturation 1 years.

comments: Leaves the same green color on both upper and lower surfaces; young twigs breaking easily at the base; the minute seeds with long, white, silky hairs.

cultural notes: Native peoples of North America used the plant medicinally for fever and pain relief.

germination code:

native range: eastern to southwestern North America & Mexico