Audubon® Native Missouri Willow

In his book, Nature’s Best Hope, entomologist and nature writer Doug Tallamy talks about the importance of planting “keystone plants” in our gardens. Keystone plants are natives that support the greatest number of insect species, such as oaks, cherries, birches, cottonwoods, elms, goldenrods, asters, and sunflowers. If your environment boasts wet conditions, consider adding a willow to your garden. Missouri Willow is a fantastic option that takes the form of a large shrub or small tree. The many, many insects it hosts will nourish innumerable songbirds and other critters you share your space with.

Missouri Willow, or Missouri River Willow, is not restricted to Missouri, but grows natively throughout much of the eastern U.S., from North Dakota to Maine. It is not very abundant south of the Ohio River, though some populations exist in Alabama. It grows along waterways and helps greatly to stabilize the soil there. Also called the “Heart-Leaved Willow,” its leaves are not at all heart-shaped, but narrow and elliptical like most other Willows. Early Americans used the flexible branches of Missouri Willow to weave baskets. They also used the plant as a pain reliever and fever reducer. The bark contains salicin, a compound that acts like aspirin.

Missouri Willow is a magnificent butterfly tree! If they escape the birds, some of the caterpillars that feed on its foliage will become beautiful butterflies. Your tree may be a host to viceroys, red spotted purples, Lorquin’s admirals, mourning cloaks, and green commas. Some really stunning moths may make it to adulthood on your Willow, too, such as the cecropia, the twin-spotted sphinx, and the big poplar sphinx.