The Weeping Willow - One Of Our Most Popular Ornamental Trees

The tree that we know as the weeping willow is a hybrid of the Peking willow of China (Salix babylonica) and the white one of Europe (Salix alba)

. It grows in almost every country in the world, and is well-known as a shade and ornamental tree. The name comes from the long, drooping branches, which combine with a short trunk and rounded crown to produce the tree's distinctive appearance.

The weeping willow is a deciduous tree which can grow up to eight or ten feet a year under ideal conditions, which makes it popular for landscaping. It bears its leaves earlier and loses them later than most other trees and grows naturally in wet areas. In fact, its love of water can make the roots a problem for pipes, and care should be taken to avoid planting weeping willows near any water system.

The willow tree is very cross-fertile, and different varieties of it frequently form hybrids. This is one reason why it tree is so widespread, growing all over the north temperate zone from Japan to North Africa and all over Europe. The most common weeping willow cultivar is Salix Sepulcralis Group 'Chrysocoma' which bears bright yellow shoots. However, there are several cultivars available, including 'Babylon', also known as 'Napoleon', with its classic weeping branches and 'Crispa', a mutant strain with twisted leaves. Other cultivars of weeping willow are 'Pendula', loved for its resistance to disease and 'Tortuosa', named for its contorted branches. The white variety of Europe was traded all over the world for its properties as a pain-reliever.

The weeping willow can be easily propagated from a cutting. The cutting should be taken from a mature tree, preferably in February or March when the leaves have fallen from it but the ground is not yet frozen. Your cutting should be about one to two inches in diameter and no more than six feet long. After selecting a spot that is comfortably distant from water pipes, dig an 18-inch-square hole, breaking up the soil and adding compost. Place your cutting upright in the hole, covering the base to a height where the tree is sturdy. Pat the soil firmly around the base with your hands.

It is only necessary to water the willow tree in prolonged dry periods during the first year. Use a shredded or compost mulch to protect the roots in the winter and you are sure to have a very healthy and long living addition to your garden.

by: Derek Farley

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