Salix nigra

Salix nigra is a perennial tree occurring in floodplains, along the edges of ponds and lakes, swamps, bogs, marshes, fields, mixed deciduous woodlands, and roadside ditches of Mexico and eastern North America from Ontario south to Texas, east to Florida, and north to New Brunswick in the United States and Canada. There are over 4,000 estimated occurrences rangewide, which are potentially threatened by the conversion of natural wetlands for development or agriculture, water management, impoundment with dams, erosion, succession, recreational activities, invasive species, herbivory, drought, and other threats in some places. Little is known about threats and trends, but with a large range extent, high number of occurrences, abundant habitat, broad habitat preferences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, Salix nigra is considered secure.

Salix nigra occurs in eastern North America, from Ontario south to Texas, east to Florida, and north to New Brunswick in the United States and Canada (FNA 2010). It also occurs in Chihuahua, Mexico. Range extent was estimated to be over 5 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).

By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, there are estimated to be over 4,000 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).

Although threats are not widely documented, Salix nigra is likely threatened by conversion of natural wetlands for development or agriculture, water management, and impoundment with dams. Additional threats potentially include erosion, succession, recreational activities, invasive species, herbivory, drought, and other threats in some places, though there is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for this species.