water+willow+_+justica+Americana

Water Willow Justicia americana

Justicia Americana- American Water willow can be found from as for west as Texas to as for east as Maine and as far south as Florida and as for north as Quebec.

American water willow is a perennial that has an active growth period in the spring. Its flower is white and the foliage color is dark green. It is also know to have a rapid growth rate.

The American water willow is relatively easy to grow as it is adapted to course, medium and fine textured soils. It also has a PH growing range from 5.4 to 7.6 with a moderate tolerance for shade.

The only known use for American water willow is animal graze. It also is not a nitrogen fixating plant and is not tolerable to salinity.

Water Willow is a rapidly growing perennial, macrophyte that is native to the Lower 48 states and Canada. It forms complex rhizomatous root mats on the banks and in the shallows of streams and lakes; it can form large colonies of stems that may grow up to 2½ ft. They are highly tolerant of anaerobic conditions, and can thrive in most soil types. Water willow creates an edge habitat between water and land, providing refuge for micro and macroinvertebrates, fish, bird, and increases overall habitat heterogeneity. It fuels the aquatic food chain by producing detritus as it dies, providing the dietary basis for many primary consumers. Water Willow takes up nutrients well, while providing soil stabilization in the emergent zones of aquatic ecosystems. They are also used as an indicator species to measure general aquatic health; its absence may indicate a degraded ecosystem, while its abundance suggest nutrient levels are too high.

EPA (2011, January 31, 2011). Macrophytes as Indicatiors Retrieved 4/16/12, from []
 * Works Cited**

Fritz, K. M., Gangloff, M. M., & Feminella, J. W. (2004). Habitat modification by the stream macrophyte Justicia americana and its effects on biota. //Oecologia, 140//(3), 388-397.

Smith, K. (2012). Water-willow (American Water-willow) Justicia americana Retrieved 4/16/12, from []

USDA, NRCS. 2012. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 22 February 2012). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.

Ware, K. (2011, August 3, 2011). Restoring Aquatic Habitat in the Santee-Cooper System, SC

Water willow, Justicia americana Retrieved 4/16/12, from http://www.fws.gov/warmsprings/BearsBluff/habitat/waterwillow.html