Lucas Land

American Water Willow

Justicia americana

From Illinois Wildflowers

The flowers of Water Willow are fairly showy and bloom intermittently for a long period of time. In spite of its common name, this is a non-woody herbaceous plant that is not closely related to willows (Salix). Water Willow is the most northern member of its genus.

This plant is also a source of food for muskrats.

Habitats include sandbars, gravelbars, or mudbars of rivers, low islands in rivers or ponds, shallow water or muddy banks of ponds and rivers, shallow water of rocky upland streams, shallow water or wet areas of swamps, and sandy marshes. Water Willow occurs in wetlands with either stagnant water or slow to moderate currents of water.