NEW ROOTS, NEW SHOOTS (BLACK WILLOW)
The Black Willow (Salix nigra) can do anything. For a great many organisms in the world, this tree provides comfort and pain relief, both figurative and literal. As a tree that grows fast, is felled easily, yet lives on to grow new roots and new shoots, it’s no wonder this tree is a recurring character in poetry, song and metaphor. Join us as we discuss the resiliant black willow and its many merits as a boon for lifeforms big and small.
Black Willow
(Salix nigra)
Do you have a friend who can simply do anything? They’re who you reach out to when you need a hand, almost no matter what it is, and they generously and unpretentiously lend their help. It doesn’t matter what it is: skin issues, landscaping, back pain, backyard habitat projects, heart ache… they never fail to offer a helping hand. And on top of this, when some bad luck befalls them and they look like they’ve completely fallen over, their roots ripped and their branches broken, they simply adjust without complaining—almost happily, even—and dig right into their new situation. Is your friend a tree, too?
For a great many organisms in this world—including humans—that friend is the black willow. The black willow (Salix nigra) is a tree that almost never fails at being a helpful denizen of its local ecosystem, and it comes from a long line of willows around the world that do the same. You see, the black willow is a tree that grows in riparian areas, those terrestrial zones right next to—and often periodically submerged by—bodies of fresh water. Here they play a massive role in the functioning of the ecosystem; but few people are aware of the massive impact willows have outside of their ecosystem, even though they’re probably affected by it almost every day.
Willows, before artificial synthesis by modern chemists, were the primary source for salicylic acid. This compound is produced in the leaves and inner bark of the trees and acts as a chemical defense against predation by insects. However, among humans the effects are quite different, ranging from reducing inflammation to relieving pain to treating skin afflictions such as acne and blemishes. Known and used as medicine for millennia, today most people know this wonder drug as aspirin, and it’s one of the most common and important drugs for humanity—full stop.
The black willow doesn’t stop with just us. It’s a large growing tree, commonly reaching heights of over 50’ with a large diameter stem and wide crown to boot. Being a dweller of riparian areas across the eastern United States, the black willow is no stranger to disturbances such as flooding and has developed a particular way to deal with these conditions.
In terms of budgeting resources, the black willow focuses its energy on growth, chemical defense, and reproduction more than it does on developing decay resistant wood. Its roots are extremely fibrous and adventitious, and they tend to grow where soil is constantly under attack from erosion by rivers or streams. The effect of the black willow’s growth strategy is that it tends to stabilize the soil and banks where it grows with its thick mat of roots, which helps to create the conditions for other trees, shrubs, and understory plants to grow in what would otherwise be an unstable situation.
But nothing is perfect, and the soil is often eroded away despite the willow’s efforts. Once the tree becomes too large and unstable, it keels over into the water. But from a now horizontal position, the willow simply responds with new roots and new shoots and starts to rebuild its life. Black willow, and much of its kin, are famously good at simply taking root in a new position, sending out adventitious roots from wherever they are touching soil or water, and sending up new shoots from dormant buds.
The black willow’s prowess at this type of regeneration is nearly unparalleled, and it makes it a hugely important part of its ecosystem. The huge fallen stems create large woody debris out of which amphibians, reptiles, and countless invertebrates make their homes. The fallen stems in the water add complexity to the channel which creates habitat for fish and all manner of other animals. Because they don’t focus on fighting decay in lieu of growing large and fast, they tend to develop large hollows which are used as habitat for birds and several mammals. All the while, they are taking root and growing in these ever-changing habitats and helping to make hospitable conditions for a huge number of plants that would otherwise be dealing with conditions too harsh and unstable to survive.
The black willow is a tree that never gives up, is a boon to many inhabitants of its habitat (including humankind), and is a recurring character in poetry, song, and metaphor. It offers comfort and pain relief both figurative and literal, and grows back from nothing over and over again. We love this tree, and we think you should too.
Completely Arbortrary is produced and hosted by Casey Clapp and Alex Crowson
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Cover art by Jillian Barthold
Music by Aves and The Mini-Vandals
Episode cover photo by Judy Gallagher
Additional Reading:
The Black Willow (Salix nigra)
Salicylic acid wikipedia
Willow and Cottonwood Cuttings Guide