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Black Willow
Black Willow botanical plate
Field guide plate · click to zoom

Black Willow

Salix nigra

Black willow provides one of the earliest sources of pollen and nectar for honeybees in spring, crucial for brood rearing after winter dormancy. Peak bloom typically hits in April, though timing varies by latitude. It prefers moist to wet soils and can sucker aggressively, making it potentially weedy in managed landscapes.

Nectarmedium
Pollenhigh
BloomMarch–May
USDA zones2-9
TypePerennial
Sunfull
NativeEastern North America
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