Black Willow

LEAVES: Alternate, simple, narrowly lance-shaped, very long-pointed, tapered or rounded at the base, finely toothed margins, smooth dark green above, pale green below. Conspicuous stipules (small leafy parts at the base of the leaf-stalk) surround the twig.

TWIGS: Slender, smooth and brittle, drooping, bright reddish-brown to orange.

FRUIT: Small reddish-brown capsules, ¼” long, in a long hanging cluster, each containing many tiny seeds. Each seed covered by a dense tuft of long, silky hairs.

BARK: Thick, rough, deeply furrowed, blackish-brown, with wide ridges and thick plates.

GENERAL: The largest of our native willows, typically reaching 30′ in height. Found on streambanks and in wet meadows throughout Pennsylvania, it is most common in the east and south. Black willow wood is used in wickerwork and the bark contains medicinal compounds. Deer browse Black willow shoots. Weeping willow, (Salix babylonica L.), is a commonly cultivated species originally from China.