Weeping Willow Tree Facts

A weeping willow tree or the Salix Babylonica is the favorite of those who want to add a dramatic touch to their garden. Being one of the fastest growing shade trees, weeping willow trees can grow as tall as 10 feet in a year. With their low, drooping branches that create a 'falling' canopy, the weeping willow trees form excellent shade trees that are much in demand. Due to their enormous size and the wide spreading but sweeping branches, these trees have got themselves a place in religion and mythology as well. Indispensable to those that love gardening and have a large garden, weeping willows are sought for their shade and ability to grow quickly. Let us get to know some more weeping willow tree facts.

Weeping Willow Tree Facts

Structure: Weeping willow trees have a short trunk with wide spreading branches that give it a broad, round shaped crown. The branches bear long narrow leaves that may have white or silky ventral surfaces. The graceful, shimmering foliage has found mention in literature right since the times of Shakespeare. It is a deciduous tree, one of the first trees to bear leaves in the spring and the last one to lose them during fall. The shimmering light green color of the leaves turn yellow in autumn. They bear very small, yellow flowers that bloom in early spring. They have inconspicuous white fruits and seeds that are produced throughout the spring season. The willows are dioecious trees with male and female flowers borne in catkins in separate plants.

Growth Conditions: Weeping willow trees are not very fussy when it comes to soil types and are able to grow in different types of soil. They grow in large areas of Europe, North America and Asia. Although they prefer moist and cool conditions, these trees are resistant to drought to quite some extent. Weeping willow trees like standing water. They grow well around ponds, lakes and pools. In case there is a troublesome area in the landscape where water tends to accumulate, planting weeping willow trees can keep the areas clean of standing water. They grow well in the Growing Zones 4-9.

Uses: The weeping willow trees are mainly valued for ornamental purposes in landscaping. However, they have a number of medicinal and commercial uses as well. The bark of the weeping willow trees are important for their medicinal and tanning properties. The bark has a compound called salicylic acid which is used to make aspirin. It is also used to make medicines that act as an anti-inflammatory agent. They have properties that can treat articular bleeding, heartburn and stomach ailments. The economic importance of the trees stem from the fact that its wood is used to make a large number of products like cricket bats, flutes, furniture, boxes and fish traps. Due to its water absorbing properties, these trees are often planted in areas where unwanted pools of water accumulate.

Myths about Weeping Willow Trees

The great height and the long drooping branches that bear the thin, shimmering leaves have led the weeping willow being surrounded by various myths and legends. According to a popular myth it is said that the weeping willow tree once stood erect and strong. However, the death of a pair of lovers so touched the heart of these trees that their branches drooped in misery and could never rise again. The slender branches of the tree are often associated with creatures like the snake. For example, in Greece it was a common practice to place willow branches in the bed of a fertile woman with the belief that it would entice the magical serpents to impregnate her. Certain native American tribes would place willow tree branches in the bed of newly married couples with the faith that it would increase the chances of the woman bearing a child. However, the weeping willow is also associated with mysticism and witchcraft. The witches broom was believed to have been made from the twigs of the willow tree.

Although native to China, weeping willow tree facts like their high adaptability have made them abundant in Canada and the United States as well. Not only are they cherished as a shade garden plant, but their broad rounded crown made of shimmering foliage strikes a chord with the poets and nature lovers as well.