 |
| BLACK WILLOW ON S NINTH ST |
Wednesday, 8:30 AM. 45 degrees F at the ferry dock, 43 on the back porch. Wind E, calm with occasional moderate gusts. The sky has a very low overcast and it is raining, we have gotten there-quarters of an inch so far. The humidity is 93% and the barometer has fallen to 29.44". The rain should let up later in the day.
The black willow leaves have finally turned to their golden yellow fall color in the last day or two. Black willow, Salix nigra, in the Willow Family (the Salicaceae) is a large, rather squat, multi-trunked tree quite common in Bayfield, as I suspect it was much planted in years past to stabilize eroding hills and stream banks. It typically has large, multiple trunks that spread out from the base of the tree and often break off. The tree is weak-wooded but persistent, and often reaches great size and age, becoming quite picturesque. Typically it has a black, heavily ridged older bark.
The willows are notoriously difficult to identify correctly, but this one is pretty distinct. It has a rugged, gnarled beauty and can be a very appealing photo object when leafless. In the right situations it will spread out over a considerable area. Enjoy it where you see it, but don't plant it in your back yard.
No comments:
Post a Comment