Willow

The Willows are a family of trees and shrubs which differ greatly in size and habit of growth but are very much alike in other respects. There are about 350 species in this genus worldwide, found primarily on moist soils in cooler zones in the Northern Hemisphere. Willows are very cross-fertile and numerous hybrids are known, both naturally occurring and in cultivation. Some smaller species may also be known by the common names osier and sallow; the latter name is derived from the same root as the Latin salix. Some willows, particularly arctic and alpine species, are very small; the Dwarf Willow (Salix herbacea) rarely exceeds 6 cm in height, though spreading widely across the ground. The Weeping Willow, very widely planted as an ornamental tree, is a cultivar, Salix × sepulcralis 'Chrysocoma', derived from a hybrid between the Chinese Peking Willow and the European White Willow. The willows all have abundant watery juice, furrowed scaly bark which is heavily charged with salicylic...This information was automatically generated from Freebase article Willow. You should replace/update it...