Flora Report, Black WIllow

The Black Willow, Salix nigra, is found throughout the valley of Jackson Hole. The willow is known for its fast spread and growth. It can get as tall as 140 feet and expand as far as four feet in width. Because the Yellow Willow also inhabits in the Jackson Hole area, the Black Willow has something unique about it to help people identify the difference between the two. The leaves on the twigs are lance, which is when there are slits in the leaves, shaped with curved tips, and little buds on the ends of them. The buds fall off and help the willow spread throughout its habitat and populates the area.
In order to survive, the willow takes in large amounts of water each day. With the soil also being moist, this allow other plants to grow that live near high water tables Living around borders of lakes and along watercourses, the willow only needs partial sunlight to continue to survive. The soil is moist which provides more nutrients, and this leads to the growth of the willows.

The willow has many helpful niches, but also a couple that are destructive to other plants. For instance, the willow spreads so wide that it blocks sunlight for plants trying to grow beneath . Nevertheless, the black willow takes in so much water, filled with nutrients, that it makes the soil moist which is helpful to plants that need those resources to grow. The branches and twigs also supply food for the moose. The more willows in the area the higher biodiversity of animals because it’s a big food source for many organisms.