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Thursday - April 02, 2015

From: Abilene, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Plant Laws, Trees
Title: Companion Plants for Salix nigra in Texas
Answered by: Anne Van Nest

QUESTION:

I'm looking the list of companion plants as well as those that might not go well with Salix nigra.

ANSWER:

For a list of plants that will grow well with Black Willow (Salix nigra), take a look at the Native Plant Database on the www.wildflower.org website and put in the same environmental conditions. Those that don’t like the same environmental conditions will not survive as well.

To find companion plants that like the same conditions as Salix nigra enter the following search criteria: State = Texas, habit = all habits, duration = perennial, light requirement = full sun, soil moisture = wet. This search will reveal over 100 native plants (of all types) that like the same conditions as Salix nigra. Some of those from this search are shown in the images below.

A fast-growing tree, 10-60 ft., with an open crown often with several trunks growing out at angles from one root. Found in wet soil along streams and at the margins of ponds and lakes. Leaf blades up to 5 inches long, narrow and tapering to an elongate tip, margins finely serrate. Bright yellow-green twigs bear yellow-green catkins. Flowers inconspicuous, arranged in elongate clusters which appear in March and April; male and female flowers on separate trees. Seeds wind-borne on silky hairs. The bark is deeply furrowed.

This is the largest and most important New World willow, with one of the most extensive ranges across the country. In the lower Mississippi Valley it attains commercial timber size, reaching 100-140 (30-42 m) in height and 4 (1.2 m) in diameter. Large trees are valuable in binding soil banks, thus preventing soil erosion and flood damage. Mats and poles made from Black Willow trunks and branches provide further protection of riverbanks and levees. One of the lightest of all eastern hardwoods, it is extremely weak in a structural sense. Yet it has a strength of its own. When nails are driven into it, black willow does not split. Also a shade tree and honey plant.

Stream banks, ditches, tanks, low ground, and other areas of wet soil throughout Texas.

Growing Conditions

Water Use: High
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist , Wet
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low
Soil Description: Clay, Loam, Sand
Conditions Comments: Short-lived and fast-growing. Susceptible to insect and wind damage.