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Native Plant Trust: Go Botany Discover thousands of New England plants

Salix eriocephala — heart-leaved willow

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New England distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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North America distribution

Adapted from BONAP data

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Facts

The thick leaves of heart-leaved willow are somewhat heart-shaped at the base and are hairy underneath. This multi-trunked small tree has dark, scaly bark. Silky catkins appear before the leaves in spring. This is a fast-growing small tree, but short-lived. Gall insects often infest the leaves. This species is a host for the caterpillars of the Mourning Cloak butterfly (Nymphalis antiopa), an early-spring flier. Many willows (Salix species) have bitter-tasting bark that contains derivatives of salicylic acid, the main compound in aspirin.

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields, shores of rivers or lakes, swamps, wetland margins (edges of wetlands)

Characteristics

Habitat
  • terrestrial
  • wetlands
New England state
  • Connecticut
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont
Growth form
the plant is a shrub (i.e., a woody plant with several stems growing from the base)
Leaf type
the leaf blade is simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
Leaves per node
there is one leaf per node along the stem
Leaf blade edges
the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
Leaf duration
the leaves drop off in winter (or they wither but persist on the plant)
armature on plant
the plant does not have spines, prickles, or thorns
Leaf blade length
58–150 mm
Leaf blade width
9–36 mm
Leaf stalk
the leaves have leaf stalks
Fruit type (general)
the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
Bark texture
the bark of an adult plant is thin and smooth
Twig winter color
  • brown
  • gray
  • purple
  • red
  • yellow
Bud scale number
there is one scale on the winter bud, and it covers the scale like a cap
Show all characteristics

  • Buds or leaf scars

    Bud scale number
    there is one scale on the winter bud, and it covers the scale like a cap
    Bud scar shape (Fraxinus)
    NA
    Collateral buds
    there are no collateral buds on the sides of the branches
    Leaf scar arrangement
    there is one leaf scar per node on the stem or twig
    Superposed buds
    there are no superposed buds on the branch
    Winter bud scale hairs
    the winter bud scales are hairy
    Winter bud scales
    the winter bud is perulate (partially or completely covered with one or more scales)
    Winter bud stalks
    the winter buds have no stalks

  • Flowers

    Carpels fused
    the carpels are fused to one another
    Enlarged sterile flowers
    there are no enlarged sterile flowers on the plant
    Flower petal color
    NA
    Flower symmetry
    there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)
    Hairs on ovary (Amelanchier)
    NA
    Hypanthium present
    the flower does not have a hypanthium
    Inflorescence position
    the inflorescences grow on the twigs
    Inflorescence type
    the inflorescence is an ament (catkin; slender, usually pendulous inflorescence with crowded unisexual flowers)
    Number of pistils
    1
    Ovary position
    the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
    Petal and sepal arrangement
    the flower lacks sepals and petals
    Petal appearance
    NA
    Petal fusion
    NA
    Sepal appearance
    NA
    Sepal cilia (Ilex)
    NA
    Sepal tip glands
    NA
    Sepals fused only to sepals
    NA
    Stamen number
    1 or 2
    Stamen position relative to petals
    NA
    Stamens fused
    • the stamens are fused to one another at or near their bases
    • the stamens are not fused to one another

  • Fruits or seeds

    Berry color
    NA
    Fruit type (general)
    the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
    Fruit type (specific)
    the fruit is a capsule (splits along two or more seams, apical teeth or pores when dry, to release two or more seeds)
    Nut with spines (Fagaceae)
    NA
    Wings on fruit
    there are no wings on the fruit

  • Glands or sap

    Sap color
    the sap is clear and watery
    Stalked glands on fruit (Rosa)
    NA

  • Growth form

    Growth form
    the plant is a shrub (i.e., a woody plant with several stems growing from the base)

  • Leaves

    Hairs on underside of leaf blade
    • the underside of the leaf has hairs on it
    • the underside of the leaf has no hairs
    Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
    • the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
    • the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
    Leaf blade base shape
    • The base of the leaf blade is cordate (heart-shaped, with rounded lobes)
    • the base of the leaf blade is rounded
    • the base of the leaf blade is truncate (ends abruptly in a more or less straight line as though cut off)
    Leaf blade base symmetry
    the leaf blade base is symmetrical
    Leaf blade bloom
    there is a noticeable powdery or waxy bloom on the underside of the leaf
    Leaf blade edges
    the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
    Leaf blade edges (Acer)
    NA
    Leaf blade flatness
    the leaf is flat (planar) at the edges
    Leaf blade hairs
    • at least some of the hairs on the leaf blade are reddish-brown, and they do not have glands
    • the hairs on the leaf blade are different from the choices given
    Leaf blade length
    58–150 mm
    Leaf blade scales
    there are no scales on the leaf blades
    Leaf blade shape
    • the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
    • the leaf blade is oblong (rectangular but with rounded ends)
    Leaf blade texture
    • the leaf blade is coriaceous (has a firm, leathery texture)
    • the leaf blade is herbaceous (has a leafy texture)
    Leaf blade translucent dots
    there are no translucent dots on the leaf blade
    Leaf blade vein pattern
    the main veins of the leaf blade are pinnate (the secondary veins branch off at intervals from the main central vein) and non-arcuate (not arched towards the leaf tip)
    Leaf blade veins
    the leaf blade has one main vein running from the base toward the tip
    Leaf blade width
    9–36 mm
    Leaf duration
    the leaves drop off in winter (or they wither but persist on the plant)
    Leaf form
    the plant is broad-leaved (with broadly flattened leaf blades)
    Leaf lobe tips (Quercus)
    NA
    Leaf midrib glands
    the midrib of the leaf blade lacks glands on the upper surface
    Leaf stalk
    the leaves have leaf stalks
    Leaf stalk attachment to leaf
    the petiole attaches at the basal margin of the leaf blade
    Leaf stalk nectaries
    there are no nectaries on the leaf stalk
    Leaf stalk shape
    the leaf stalk is not flattened
    Leaf teeth
    • the leaf blade margin has teeth, which themselves have smaller teeth on them
    • the leaf blade margin is serrate (with forward-pointing) or dentate (with outward-pointing) with medium-sized to coarse teeth
    Leaf teeth hairs (Carya)
    NA
    Leaf type
    the leaf blade is simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
    Leaves per node
    there is one leaf per node along the stem
    Specific leaf type
    the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
    Stipules
    the plant has stipules

  • Place

    Habitat
    • terrestrial
    • wetlands
    New England state
    • Connecticut
    • Maine
    • Massachusetts
    • New Hampshire
    • Rhode Island
    • Vermont
    Specific habitat
    • edges of wetlands
    • man-made or disturbed habitats
    • meadows or fields
    • shores of rivers or lakes
    • swamps

  • Scent

    Plant odor
    the plant does not have much of an odor, or it has an unpleasant or repellant odor

  • Stem, shoot, branch

    Aerial roots
    the plant has no aerial roots
    Bark texture
    the bark of an adult plant is thin and smooth
    Branch brittleness (willows only)
    the branches are flexible, and do not break easily
    Branch cross-section
    the branch is circular in cross-section, or it has five or more sides, so that there are no sharp angles
    First-year cane (Rubus)
    NA
    Lenticels on twigs
    there are clearly lenticels on the twigs
    Pith shape
    the outline of the pith in a twig is roughly round
    Pith type
    the pith inside the twig is solid, completely filled with spongy tissue
    Short shoots
    there are no peg- or knob-like shoots present
    Twig bloom
    there is no bloom on the twig
    Twig hairs
    the twigs have hairs, but the hairs do not have glands
    Twig papillae (Vaccinium species only)
    NA
    Twig scales
    there are no scales on the twig surface
    Twig winter color
    • brown
    • gray
    • purple
    • red
    • yellow
    Wings on branch
    the branch does not have wings on it
    armature on plant
    the plant does not have spines, prickles, or thorns

Wetland status

Usually occurs in wetlands, but occasionally in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACW)

New England distribution and conservation status

Distribution

Connecticut
present
Maine
present
Massachusetts
present
New Hampshire
present
Rhode Island
present
Vermont
present

Conservation status

Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.

Maine
unranked (S-rank: SNR)

ssp. eriocephala var. eriocephala

Massachusetts
widespread (S-rank: S5)

Native to North America?

Yes

Sometimes confused with

Salix sericea:
leaf blades usually tapering to the base, darkening in drying, usually with shiny, neatly aligned, appressed hairs on the lower surface, and branchlets brittle at the base and snapping cleanly at the junction of yearly growth (vs. S. eriocephala, with leaf blades usually rounded to heart-shaped at the base, not darkening in drying, usually with dull, scattered, and curving hairs on the lower surface, and branchlets flexible at the base, tearing at the junction of yearly growth).

Synonyms

  • Salix cordata Muhl.
  • Salix cordata Michx. var. abrasa Fern.
  • Salix cordata Muhl. var. missouriensis (Bebb) Mackenzie & Bush
  • Salix cordata Muhl. var. ridiga (Muhl.) Carey
  • Salix cordata Michx. var. rigida (Muhl.) Boivin
  • Salix discolor Muhl. var. eriocephala (Michx.) Anderss.
  • Salix missouriensis Bebb
  • Salix rigida Muhl.

Family

Salicaceae

Genus

Salix

Notes on subspecies and varieties in New England

Our subspecies and variety is Salix eriocephala Michx. ssp. eriocephala var. eriocephala.

Help

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae

12.  Salix eriocephala Michx. ssp. eriocephala var. eriocephala N

heart-leaved willow. Salix cordata Muhl.; S. cordata Michx. var. abrasa Fern.; S. cordata Michx. var. rigida (Muhl.) Boivin; S. cordata Muhl. var. ridiga (Muhl.) Carey; S. cordata Muhl. var. missouriensis (Bebb) Mackenzie & Bush; S. discolor Muhl. var. eriocephala (Michx.) Anderss.; S. missouriensis Bebb; S. rigida Muhl. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT; throughout. Fields, roadsides, shorelines, ditches, swamps. Reports of Salix cordata Michx. from New England (Fernald 1950b, Seymour 1982) were all based on specimens of Salix eriocephala. Many of the specimens in question were vigorous sprouts on northern, ice-scoured river shores where 
the leaf blade morphology was atypical.

7×12. Salix candida × Salix eriocephala → Salix ×‌rubella Bebb is a very rare willow hybrid in New England that is known from MA. It has narrow-elliptic leaf blades with small, sharp, forward-pointing teeth and weakly revolute margins, sparsely pubescent ovaries, and two-toned floral bracts (light brown at the base and darker brown near the apex).

10×12. Salix discolor × Salix eriocephala → This uncommon willow hybrid is known from MA, ME. It resembles S. discolor except that the leaf blades are ± elliptic (vs. elliptic to oblanceolate or obovate), and the marginal teeth are more numerous and relatively sharper. The ovaries show sparse pubescence during flower (vs. densely pubescent in S. discolor and glabrous in S. eriocephala).

12×23. Salix eriocephala × Salix petiolaris → This uncommon willow hybrid is known from MA, ME, and VT (and very likely found in other states as well). It is intermediate between the two species in terms of leaf blade outline and size and frequently shows small stipules at the nodes. The ovaries are usually sparsely pubescent but are sometimes nearly glabrous except for patches of hair near the base and apex.

12×27. Salix eriocephala × Salix sericea → Salix ×‌bebbii Gandog. is an uncommon hybrid known from CT, MA, ME, NH, VT. Though it is generally intermediate between the two parental species in various morphological characters (e.g., leaf blade outline, leaf blade pubescence, prominence of stipules, pubescence on branchlets), it is morphologically variable, and extremes approach either parent. One of the most diagnostic characters is the pubescence on the ovary, which is sparse in this hybrid (though often absent near the base; absent altogether in S. eriocephala and dense throughout during flower in S. sericea). Most reports of S. myricoides from New England other than Aroostook County, ME, are based on this hybrid (i.e., the name Salix myricoides was misapplied to this hybrid by many authors, including Fernald 1950b and Magee and Ahles 1999).