Prairie Willow (Salix humilis)

$14.00
Out of Stock

As a Keystone plant, Prairie Willow is great because it is a host plant to the Mourning Cloak, Viceroy, Red-Spotted Purple, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, and 423 other species of butterflies and moths in our area (nwf.org) and a host plant to a number of specialist mining bees! It is also beneficial to the threatened Canadian giant moth (mnfi.anr.msu.edu/) and it is listed as a preferred pollinator plant by the Xerces Society (Xerces.org). While many people think of willows as moisture-loving plants, Prairie Willow thrives in medium to dry soil, so it is much more versatile. It typically only grows up to 5 feet, but can grow taller when in an optimal spot, making it a more manageable plant for the smaller landscape.

Photo credit: John Blair

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As a Keystone plant, Prairie Willow is great because it is a host plant to the Mourning Cloak, Viceroy, Red-Spotted Purple, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, and 423 other species of butterflies and moths in our area (nwf.org) and a host plant to a number of specialist mining bees! It is also beneficial to the threatened Canadian giant moth (mnfi.anr.msu.edu/) and it is listed as a preferred pollinator plant by the Xerces Society (Xerces.org). While many people think of willows as moisture-loving plants, Prairie Willow thrives in medium to dry soil, so it is much more versatile. It typically only grows up to 5 feet, but can grow taller when in an optimal spot, making it a more manageable plant for the smaller landscape.

Photo credit: John Blair

Life Cycle: Perennial

Sun Exposure: Full, Partial

Soil Moisture: Medium, Medium-Dry, Dry

Height: 4-8 feet

Plant Spacing: 2-5'

Bloom Time: April, May

Advantages: Caterpillar Favorite, Pollinator Favorite, Bird Favorite

Host plant: Mourning Cloak, Polyphemus Moth, Cecropia Moth, Viceroy, Red-Spotted Purple, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. This plant hosts an amazing 427 species of butterflies and moths use this as a caterpillar host plant in our area (nwf.org)

Specialist Bee: Mining Bees Andrena bisalicis, A. erythrogaster, A. fenningeri, A. illinoiensis, A. mariae, and A. salictaria (illinoiswildflower.info).

Beneficial for Endangered or Threatened Species: Canadian giant moth (Andropolia contacta) (mnfi.anr.msu.edu/)

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