Friday, April 10, 2015

Salix babylonica - Babylon Willow - Weeping Willow

General Information
Common Name Babylon Willow, Weeping Willow
Scientific Name Salix babylonica
Sun Tolerance Full Sun
Height 20 - 25 m (66-82 ft)
Spread 10 - 15 m (33 - 50 ft)
Growth Rate Fast
Bloom Time Spring
Color Green,
Flower Color Yellow
Type Tree
Native USA, Asia, Europe.
Classification
Kingdom Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
SuperdivisionSpermatophyta – Seed plants
Division Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass Dilleniidae
Order Salicales
Family Salicaceae – Willow family
Genus Salix L. – Willow
Species S. babylonica

Salix babylonica commonly known as Babylon Willow also known as Weeping Willow or Peking Willow. It is native to dry areas of northern China, but cultivated for millennia elsewhere in Asia, being traded along the Silk Road to southwest Asia and Europe. 

Salix babylonica - Babylon Willow - Weeping Willow
S. babylonica is a medium- to large-sized deciduous tree. It grows 20–25 m (66–82 ft) in height. It grows rapidly, but has a short lifespan, between 40 to 75 years. The shoots are yellowish-brown, with small buds. The leaves are alternate and spirally arranged, narrow and the color is light green. They are 4-16 cm long and 0.5-2 cm broad, with finely serrate margins and long culminate tips, and they become a gold-yellow color in autumn. It blooms in early spring. The flowers are also deciduous that arranged in catkins, yellow color, with the male and female catkins on separate trees. 
S. babylonica, especially its pendulous-branched form, has been introduced into many other areas, including Europe and the southeastern United States, but beyond China, it has not generally been as successfully cultivated as some of its hybrid derivatives, being sensitive to late-spring frosts. In the more humid climates of much of Europe and eastern North America, it is susceptible to a canker disease.
This weeping willow can be a spectacular specimen at the edge of a pond with its branches gracefully weeping down to touch the water, however, it is often very difficult to site this tree in a residential landscape. It is a popular ornamental tree in northern China, and is also grown for wood production and shelter belts there, being particularly important around the oases of the Gobi Desert, protecting agricultural land from desert winds.


Salix babylonica - Babylon Willow - Weeping Willow

Babylon Willow Leaves

Leaves of Babylon Willow

Leaves of Salix babylonica

Babylon Willow Flowers

Flowers of Babylon Willow

Babylon Willow Flowers before bloom

Flowers of Salix babylonica 

Babylon Willow Bark

Salix babylonica Bark

Salix babylonica - Babylon Willow - Weeping Willow

Salix babylonica - Babylon Willow - Weeping Willow

Salix babylonica - Babylon Willow - Weeping Willow

Babylon Willow reached to water


1 comment:

Unknown said...

Good Morning:

I've seen pretty pictures on your blog.
I wonder if I might use photography flower Salix babylonica for a small non-profit publication, of course the source of the proceeding would be mentioned.

Greetings,

My name is Eduardo, I Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain.

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