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Weeping Willow

Flowering Plants

The weeping willow is a fast-growing deciduous tree, believed to have originated in northern China and long cultivated across temperate regions of the world, prized as an ornamental tree for its graceful, drooping branches that can trail down to sweep the ground or the surface of water. It grows best near rivers, ponds and other wet ground, where its extensive, water-seeking root system thrives, though the same trait can make it a problem near underground pipes and foundations. The tree produces narrow, lance-shaped leaves and small, inconspicuous flower catkins in spring, and it is among the earliest trees to leaf out and among the last to lose its leaves in autumn. Weeping willows are relatively short-lived and prone to storm damage compared with sturdier trees, but their distinctive silhouette has made them a common feature of parks, gardens and cemeteries for centuries.

Facts
Classification
Diet
Photosynthetic Autotroph 2
System (Realm)
Terrestrial 3
Relationship to People
Invasive or Introduced Species 1
Living or Extinct
Yes 1
Derived from this species' own Conservation Status: this atlas's IUCN category list has no Extinct value, so a set conservation-status is itself evidence of living status.
Identification
Distinguishing Appearance
The leaves are alternate and spirally arranged, narrow, light green, 4-16 cm (1.6-6.3 in) long and 0.5-2 cm (0.2-0.8 in) broad, with finely serrate margins and long acuminate tips; they turn a gold-yellow in autumn. 1
Comparison
NatureServe Rank
GNR Unranked 4
CITES Appendix
Not Listed 5
Scientific Name
Salix babylonica 1
Conservation Status
Data Deficient 1
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Plantae, Taxa
Source Wikidata: Weeping Willow
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Afghanistan

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Argentina

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Armenia

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Australia

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Austria

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Belgium

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Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Brazil

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Chile

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Colombia

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Cuba

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Dominican Republic

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Fiji

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Georgia

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Haiti

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Iran

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Iraq

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Japan

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Lesotho

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Manchuria

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North America

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Pakistan

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Thailand

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Turkmenistan

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Uzbekistan

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Vietnam

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Zimbabwe

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Sources
1. Salix babylonica (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Cultivars section
    Various cultivars of Salix matsudana (Chinese willow) are now often included within Salix babylonica, treated more broadly, including: 'Pendula' is a weeping tree, with a silvery shine, hardier, and more disease resistant. 'Tortuosa' is an upright tree with twisted and contorted branches, marketed as corkscrew willow.
  • Description section
    The leaves are alternate and spirally arranged, narrow, light green, 4-16 cm (1.6-6.3 in) long and 0.5-2 cm (0.2-0.8 in) broad, with finely serrate margins and long acuminate tips; they turn a gold-yellow in autumn.
  • Speciesbox infobox, status parameter (IUCN3.1 assessment, Barstow 2021)
  • Horticultural selections and related hybrids
    These distinctive trees were subsequently introduced into England from Aleppo in northern Syria in 1730, and have rapidly become naturalised, growing well along rivers and in parks.
View the Source
2. Salix babylonica (Wikipedia)
a species of willowView the Source
3. GBIF Species API
GBIF Species APIView the Source
4. NatureServe Explorer: Salix babylonica
NatureServe ExplorerGlobal rank (roundedGRank)
Quote, Global rank (roundedGRank)
"roundedGRank": "GNR"
View the Source
5. UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat): Species+: Plantae
UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat)Species+ taxon_concepts, id 45
Quote, Species+ taxon_concepts, id 45
"cites_listing":"I/II/III/NC","eu_listing":"A/B/C/D/NC","higher_taxa":{"kingdom":"Plantae","phylum":null,"class":null,"order":null,"family":null},"synonyms":[],"common_names":[{"name":"Plants","language":"EN"},{"name":"Flora","language":"EN"}],"cites_listings":[]
View the Source
Wikidata: Weeping Willow
  • Wikidata Q156307, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
  • Child Taxon Of: Plantae, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
View the Source
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