Description of the weeping willow. Weeping willow: description of the tree, features, varieties in the photo. Is there enough room for white willow?
Willow is a large dioecious tree up to 25 m high (all other types of willows are shrubs) of the willow family, with a large tent-shaped crown. The bark is dark gray, cracked. Old branches are bare, straight, young ones are pubescent. The leaves are lanceolate, silvery-silky on one side and smooth on the other. Willow blooms in April-May. The flowers are small, collected in earrings. The fruit has the shape of a box. The seeds are small and volatile. Ripen in May-June.
Where willow grows.
Willow is widespread everywhere, with the exception of the Far North. Grows along river banks, on waterlogged, muddy or sandy soils, in clearings, forming thickets, tolerates pruning well. Thanks to its branched root system, it serves to secure the banks of rivers and ravines.
Medicinal raw materials The bark of the willow is used. They are preparing it early spring during sap flow from young branches from trees 6-7 years old. The removed bark (its thickness should be 1-4 mm) is cut into pieces, dried well in the sun and dried in a dryer at a temperature of 50-60 ° C. The finished raw material should break well and not bend. Stored in cardboard containers for 4 years.
Properties of willow.
Willow preparations have astringent, hemostatic, disinfectant, antipyretic, diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties. A decoction of the bark has the ability to thin the blood and prevent blood clots. It is used internally for dysentery, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach and colon, bleeding from internal organs, tuberculosis, gynecological diseases, typhoid, rheumatism: (this reduces pain and swelling in the joints), gout, as an expectorant - for sore throat, acute respiratory infections; externally - for rinsing the mouth and throat, foot baths for varicose veins, sweating of the legs and skin diseases. For varicose veins, take foot baths (up to the knees) from a decoction of willow and oak bark, taken in equal parts.
The use of willow in folk medicine.
IN folk medicine Willow bark is used. Willow bark is collected from thinner branches (no thicker than a finger), usually in the spring.
Willow bark is popularly used in most cases as an astringent, hemostatic, disinfectant and diuretic.
Willow bark decoction: 
Brew 200 ml of boiling water with 1 tbsp of bark, cook over low heat for 20 minutes, strain. Drink 2 tbsp. l. 3-4 times a day for 30 minutes. before meals.
There is a belief that the willow has magical properties- protects from troubles, misfortunes and evil spirits. Therefore, previously its consecrated branches were kept in houses.
You can get energy from willow; contact with it calms, relaxes, and helps eliminate headaches. To recharge, willow is most active from 6 to 9 p.m.
Traditional medicine uses willow bark internally and externally.
A decoction of willow bark for catarrh of the stomach and intestines.
A decoction of 40.0 g of dry bark per 1 liter. water for all catarrhs of the stomach, intestinal tract and for indigestion.
For diseases of the spleen:
Take a decoction (cook for 10 minutes) from a mixture of crushed willow bark and soapwort root in equal parts. Take 2 teaspoons of the mixture per 2 glasses of water. Typically, when this mixture is boiled and after straining, about 1.5 cups of liquid remains from 2 cups. Replenish the loss by adding water tincture of rose hips. Take 2 glasses of decoction per day. This is considered especially useful in infectious diseases, including pulmonary tuberculosis, jaundice, rheumatism and others, when the spleen and liver are overloaded (saturated) with large doses of toxin.
For female diseases, drink a decoction of willow bark:
1 teaspoon of decoction per glass of water, 2 such glasses per day.
For dysentery, drink a decoction of strawberry root and willow bark in sips:
For 500.0 g of water - strawberries - 8.0 g, willow bark - 10.0 g. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
External use of willow bark.
Willow bark powder is sprinkled on bleeding wounds. The dust of such a powder is sucked into the nose when blood comes from the nose, and they lie down on the bed without a pillow under their head.
For pain in the legs of people suffering from varicose veins, use warm foot baths (up to the knee) from a decoction of willow bark and oak bark, lasting half an hour. After the bath, put a bandage or rubber stockings on your feet and rest.
For dandruff and itching of the scalp and hair loss, wash your hair with a strong decoction of a mixture of willow bark and burdock roots, taken in equal parts.
For people recovering from a serious illness and prolonged lying in bed, with weak legs and trembling while walking, take about 20-minute foot baths in a strong decoction of willow bark.
Folk uses of willow.
There are more than a hundred species of willow: brittle willow, purple willow, Russian willow...
Willow heals people with its bark, leaves, inflorescences, and perhaps not only that. IN lately They are beginning to talk seriously about a number of trees as a source of bioenergy. In Ukraine, the willow is called the sadness tree, which not only sympathizes with the pain and illness of a person, but also “takes away” all this from the patient, alleviating his condition, especially if such unity with the willow is accompanied by a special spell. During sap flow, bark is taken from 3-4 year old branches. You just have to remember that you can’t cut down or tear off the bark from the willow, which grows at the very edge of the reservoir. The roots of the tree go all the way to the aquifer, and if the willow is painfully wounded, the water “leaves” and disappears.
Willow is popularly used for various neuroses, neuralgia, rheumatism, gout, colds, malaria, gastritis, inflammatory bowel diseases, jaundice, diseases of the liver and spleen (during periods when they are saturated with large doses of toxins), inflammation of the urinary tract. A decoction of willow bark has a beneficial effect on patients with pleurisy and chronic colitis, and an infusion of dried flowers has a beneficial effect on tachycardia and extrasystoles. Ointment made from bark powder treats wounds and ulcers. A decoction of the bark is used to rinse the mouth for sore throat, stomatitis, gingivitis, periodontal disease, and to wash the hair for hair loss (using burdock roots). Bark baths are recommended for varicose veins.
Recipes using willow.
Treatment of prostatitis:
Pour 2 tablespoons of finely chopped thin white willow branches with a glass of boiling water, close the lid and simmer over low heat for another 5 minutes. After cooling, strain. Drink half a glass 3 times a day. Course - 1 month. If the cure does not occur, switch to other decoctions (aspen or hazel bark, or choose another recipe, enhancing it with tincture of wintergreen, wintergreen or cocklebur).
Treatment of adnexitis.
2 tablespoons of bark per 1 liter of water, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Leave for half an hour, strain. Drink 1/3 glass 5-6 times a day. The usual course is 5-6 days, but can last up to a month.
For goiter.
Burn young shoots, preferably basket willow, collect coals (not ash!), grind into powder and mix with double the amount of honey. Take 50 g 3 times a day 20 minutes before meals until you get tired, then move on to another type of treatment. (Referring to thyrotoxicosis.)
Treatment of thrombophlebitis and varicose veins:
Place 250 g of willow bark on a bucket of water, bring to a boil and cook gently for 15 minutes. Cool to a temperature of 37°C and take warm foot baths for 30 minutes, then give your feet a rest, preferably wearing thick or rubber stockings. It is advisable to do this until there is a lasting improvement.
For tachycardia and arrhythmia.
My heart failed me when I was young. Therefore, I used different plants and thanks to them I stepped into my seventh decade. One day in early spring I went out to collect bark and suddenly saw a lush blooming willow purple. Such beauty took my breath away. Let me think I’ll grab some flowers for medicine. I went up to the tree and mentally asked it for forgiveness: they say, I’m not taking it for fun, but for sick people. I collected fresh male inflorescences and doused them with vodka that same day. You need approximately 100 g of flowers per 0.5 liter of vodka. Of course, I did more, with a reserve. Let it sit for a month and strain. And then one person needed medicine: he was tormented by both tachycardia and arrhythmia. I gave him a bottle of tincture and told him to drink 30-35 drops daily, 3-4 times a day before meals, with a spoonful of water. How grateful he was to me later. If the pills hurt his liver, and they were of little use, but after a month he even looked younger and asked for another course. And what am I saying: it’s not me, but the willow tree that needs to be thanked.
Treatment of gynecological diseases, bleeding with willow bark.
For all gynecological diseases, especially bleeding, the following helps: pour 1 tablespoon of crushed bark with a glass of boiling water and leave for 5-6 hours, preferably in a thermos. Drink a tablespoon half an hour after meals 3 times a day. And for heavy uterine bleeding - 6-7 times a day, also a tablespoon.
The use of willow for numbness in the fingers, as well as pain in the neck, radiculitis.
Here you only need 1 teaspoon of finely chopped willow bark per 1 cup of boiling water. Cover with a lid and leave until cool. Take 1 tablespoon 4-5 times a day.
Using willow bark for sweaty hands.
Stir a teaspoon of willow bark powder in 2 cups of cold boiled water and leave for 8 hours. Keep your hands in this infusion for 5-10 minutes several times a day until this, albeit small, nuisance completely disappears.
Treatment of hypotension with willow bark.
Brew 1 tablespoon of bark with 2 cups of boiling water, leave in a thermos for 6 hours. Drink in 3 doses 20-30 minutes before meals - as a tonic for arterial hypotension.
Willow bark is contraindicated.
There are not just interesting, but also effective recipes for headaches on nervous soil, for vasculitis, neurodermatitis - even to the point of warts, but I already went over the limit allotted to me. After all, it remains to be said that the willow can become an obvious enemy. For example, not all heart diseases can be treated with its flowers - they are contraindicated in case of bradycardia. Bark decoctions for constipation further strengthen the stomach. It is undesirable to drink bark decoctions not only for gastritis with high acidity, but also for stomach and duodenal ulcers.
Another important note: white willow preparations should not be given to children under sixteen years of age for colds, flu and other viral infections, since the use of salicylates (and willow is rich in them) can cause a potentially fatal disease - Reye's syndrome (the development of encephalitis in a child in combination with deficiency liver with frequent fatal outcomes. In general, aspirin is not recommended for children under 12 years of age).
It is contraindicated to combine willow with wintergreen oil. Cannot be used simultaneously with aspirin. You should also know that salicylates deplete vitamin C reserves - it must be actively replenished when treated with willow preparations.
Where and how does willow grow?
Where should one look for those wild species whose qualities are most suitable for weaving all kinds of products, and how to recognize them by their external characteristics?
Willows grow everywhere along the banks of rivers and lakes, streams and ponds, on sandbanks and along the edges of damp forests, along roadside ditches and slopes. So finding the willows we need and preparing willow twigs should not cause difficulties. But in every locality there is something special favorable conditions for wild basket willows.
Anyone who has ever traveled along large rivers by ship, motor boat or kayak, or been on the banks of small rivers and rivulets, could not help but notice the luxurious willow bushes and entire thickets of willow trees growing mainly on sandbanks and islands. The widespread distribution of basket willows confirms the spread of commercial weaving from willow twig in different latitudes and regions Soviet Union from the Baltic states and Transcarpathia to the Urals, Siberia and the Far East, from Arkhangelsk and Veliky Ustyug to Kuban and the Transcaucasian republics, from Altai to the Tyumen north and Taimyr, etc.
We ask readers not to blame us for bias (in some cases bias is excusable) - the banks of the Oka, its surroundings and the small rivers flowing into it seem to us more picturesque than other banks, areas and rivers in Russia, and most importantly, they seem ideal for willow habitat, according to at least in the Moscow region.
Vast sandy beaches open to the sun, shallows and splashes stretch along both banks of the Oka from Kaluga to Serpukhov and further downstream to the Yeseninsky places near Ryazan and the banks of Meshchera right up to the confluence of the Oka and the Volga. This is where willow “loves” to grow, receiving a lot of light and nutrients on alluvial sediments of pebbles and sand, generously fertilized with silt deposits during widespread spring floods and floods.
Often among the river there are sandbanks washed up by the rapid current near the rifts - islands with lush growth of annual willow twigs that appear on the wet sands as a result of the self-seeding of flying seeds. And although by autumn the twigs do not have time to reach great lengths, this is an excellent material for weaving baskets!
The twigs of these young shoots are valued by basket weavers for their high strength and flexibility. Viscous, belty, pliable they have beautiful color By the time of harvesting in late autumn, the barks are immediately used for weaving baskets in an unrooted form, but they are also perfectly cleaned during the period of sap flow - in late July - early August. At this time, they already have quite mature wood and a small core when cut. They have only one drawback: they are short and have a large taper. They should be allowed to grow, but the basket makers know: the ice will form on the river in high water, the rods will freeze into it so that in the spring they will be pulled out and carried away by the ice floes raised by the hollow water.
What kind of willow species is this that has such an ability to reproduce by seeds? It's mostly red (Saliх acutifolia)- willow, or red shelyuga.
In terms of its distribution, krasnothal is a southern species of willows and is mainly characteristic of the black soil zone, where in the floodplains of the Dnieper, Don, Volga and their large tributaries it grows both along the shore itself and away from it along ridges and gullies, forming very characteristic extensive thickets. Krasnotal twigs and sticks are used by the local population to construct wicker fences, buildings for livestock, and for weaving baskets and other products. But since this willow has a very bitter bark, this circumstance must be kept in mind and not used in its unrooted form for fruit, berry and vegetable baskets.
Redwood is easy to distinguish from other types of willows primarily by its long and thin red-brown shoots, covered with a bluish waxy coating from the end of the first year's growth. Its leaves are lanceolate, pointed, glandular-serrate along the edges, shiny above, matte greenish below.
Of course, you have to be a specialist botanist to accurately distinguish one species or variety of willow from another by external signs in the apparent diversity of their varieties, but regardless of the species, the best twig in terms of its qualities grows on sandy soils well fertilized with natural silt deposits. Conversely, on oily, waterlogged soils the twig grows thick, with loose wood and a large core.
Yes, goat willow (Saliх coprea L.) prefers moist, but not swampy soils along forest edges, along roads, ditches and slopes. Being relatively shade-tolerant, it grows in mixed forest plantations in the form of undergrowth and second tier. In the steppe zone it lives in river valleys and ravines, but rarely descends onto flooded areas of the floodplain.
Among the willows cultivated in nurseries, a hybrid of goat willow and twig willow is known - pointed willow (Saliх acumenata). This is a large shrub with strong bare shoots and long narrow lanceolate leaves. It has excellent quality wood, used for weaving rods, as well as for the manufacture of large and small hoops.
Vine or willow (Saliх viminalis L.s.l.), forms the largest tracts of all floodplain willows. Usually they are tied to the riverbed part and, starting at the very edge of the water, fix the alluvial, most moist sands. This is a tall branched shrub. It is a classic basket willow throughout almost the entire territory of the USSR, it produces a thin and tough rod, it splits well and is planed into strips. Grows quickly, with the ability to regenerate shoots. Within its range it has a number of varieties and forms.
Unlike those already described, willows have young shoots that are almost bare or grayish-pubescent, while adult shoots are bare. Stipules are small, narrowly lanceolate or crescent-shaped, long pointed, usually rapidly falling, mostly shorter than petioles. But the leaves of this willow are dark green, have a length of 10 to 20 cm and a width of 1-2 cm, wedge-shaped at the base, sharp at the apex, almost bare above and slightly pubescent at the edge below.
By crossing this willow with the purple and Hilkoana willow, valuable hybrids from an economic point of view were obtained.
Purple willow or yellowberry (Saliх purpurea L.), usually grows in the form of single branched bushes up to 3 m or bushes in the steppe zone of the European part of the USSR south of the Oka, but sometimes found on its left bank in the Moscow region. The bark of yellowberry branches on the inside is lemon-yellow; annual shoots are purple, shiny, bare, thin and flexible. Hence the name of the species. And one more valuable quality: the twigs of this willow have small, deep-seated buds, often opposite. Stipules are usually absent, so there are almost no noticeable traces of them left on the bark-cleaned twigs. The surface is smooth, even, white, glossy.
The leaves of yellowberry also differ from other willows. In young leaves, a reddish, easily erasable felt forms on the lower bluish-greenish side. True, later the leaves become completely bare, dark green on top, like all willows. Their length 12-13 cm, width 1-1.5 cm. The leaves are mostly pointed, oblanceolate.
In practice, two forms of natural purple willow hybrids are known: Ural and Lambert. Ural willow is a low shrub with graceful shoots suitable for the finest weaving. The rods bend well and have a small core.
Willow tristamen (Saliх triandra L.)- belotal - very common in river floodplains. It grows along riverbed alluvial sands. It is also often found along the banks of floodplain oxbow lakes, river channels and artificial ditches. Its distinctive features: the bark is brown with a green or yellow tint; The midrib of the lanceolate leaves with jagged edges on the underside is yellow, and the shape of the leaf itself is similar to almond leaves. Hence another name for belotal - almond willow.
Planting a hybrid species of willow - "Polish" from crossing three-stamen and purple willow
The rods of the belotal are thin, long, flexible and strong, with a small core. The bark is easily removed from them, revealing the white satin surface of the wood. It splits well, pricks and is planed into strips. If the unpeeled twigs are boiled or steamed, the wood acquires a beautiful bronze color.
Belotal and purple willow produced a natural hybrid - American willow, divided into Polish and giant. They are very good! ornamental properties of the twig, due to which these willows are cultivated in many nurseries. How they look in nature can be clearly seen in a photograph taken on a plantation in the Ivanteevsky nursery.
It would be possible to continue the characteristics of various types of wild willows, but it seems that the practice of preparing a twig, especially the practice of using it for weaving, will immediately show you the advantages and best qualities of one type of willow over others: eared over ash, Russian over brittle, Caspian over woolly willow etc. Therefore, we suggest considering the next question in this section, where a practical task has been prepared for you.
white willow, or silver (Vetla)- Salix alba L.It grows throughout Europe, extending beyond the Urals, with the exception of the Far North. Available in many reserves of the European part of Russia, Kazakhstan, the Caucasus, the Baltic states, Crimea, and Central Asia. It grows along the banks and valleys of rivers on sandy alluvium. Sometimes it forms pure stands. Light-loving hygromesophyte.
A large tree 20-25 m tall, with a powerful trunk covered with fissured, gray bark. The young branches are very impressive, thin, drooping, and silvery-pubescent at the ends. Older shoots are bare, shiny, yellowish or reddish-brown in color. The leaves are alternate, lanceolate, up to 15 cm long, silky-whitish in youth, later dark green above, bare, silvery below, silky-pubescent, which makes the tree very showy at the slightest breath of wind. Flower catkins develop simultaneously with leaves.
Grows in natural plantings on the territory of the GBS. Tree, at 26 years old, height 10.5 m, trunk diameter 26.0-32.0 cm. Grows from 30.IV ± 5 to 5.X ± 9 for 158 days. In the first 3 years it grows quickly. Blooms from 17.V ± 6 to 20.V ± 6 for 3 days. The fruits ripen in June. Produces plants from seeds of GBS reproduction. Winter hardiness is complete. 100% of cuttings root without treatment.
Twisty shape of white willow
Photo of Alexandra Menshova
It grows quickly, is photophilous, frost-resistant, has little soil requirements, and tolerates urban conditions well. Propagated by seeds and vegetatively. This plant reproduces well from both summer and lignified cuttings. The rooting percentage is close to 100. There are cases when even stakes dug into the ground take root. Lives up to 100 years.
An integral element in the compositions of large parks and forest parks located on the banks of large bodies of water. Valuable tree for quick landscaping of new buildings and industrial facilities. Used in groups and for road lining.
Decorative forms:
"Argentea". A large (about 25 m in height) tree, the flowing shoots of which are covered with silvery shiny oblong leaves up to 8-10 cm long. Later, the leaves become dark green, smooth on the upper side, and remain shiny white on the lower side. Their autumn color - yellow. In early spring, when the leaves have not yet blossomed, the entire tree is covered with golden earrings and from a distance looks like a yellow cloud.
"Coerulea". A large (up to 20 m) tree, the leaves of which are sea-green above and light below.
"Limpde" - tree 20 - 40 m high. Trunk diameter up to 3 m. The crown is narrow-conical, with a diameter of 10 - 12 m. The bark is gray, dark gray, with deep cracks. The shoots are yellowish, then light brown. The leaves are lanceolate, up to 10 cm long and 2.5 cm wide, green. It blooms in April - May at the same time as the leaves bloom. Honey plant. Grows quickly. Photophilous. Prefers moist alkaline soils. Tolerates prolonged moisture, but does not tolerate waterlogging. It has a beautiful crown shape. Frost-resistant;
"Tristis" - tree 15 - 20 m high. The crown is spreading, with hanging shoots, 15 - 20 m in diameter. The bark is yellowish, then brown. The shoots are yellow. The leaves are lanceolate, 8 - 12 cm long and 2.5 cm wide, green. Autumn color is yellow-green. It blooms in April - May simultaneously with the leaves blooming or a little later. The earrings are yellow. Honey plant. Grows quickly. Photophilous. Tolerates dry soils, but prefers moist ones. It has a very picturesque weeping crown.
"Sericea". A tree about 10 m high with silvery leaves and rounded crown. Grows slowly and reaches size limit only at 15-20 years old. White willow also has a variety called "Splendes" with silver leaves on both sides.
weeping(f. pendula) - a form in which, in addition to the unique shape of the crown, the color of the bark of young (up to four years old) shoots is remarkable: in early spring and summer the bark is bright mustard, and in summer it acquires a red-brown “tan” from the sunny side. The leaves are very elegant, up to 10 cm long with a width of only 1.5 cm, with finely pointed tips, colored light green. Branches with leaves fall like yellow-green streams of a waterfall. Propagated very easily by green summer and woody cuttings. Easily withstands waterlogged soil.
Photo by Olga Blokhman
S. a. var. vitellina (L.) Stokes- I.b. yolk-yellow. In GBS since 1955, 2 samples were grown from cuttings obtained from VNIILM (Moscow) and Germany. Tree, height 7.8 m, trunk diameter 9.5/16.5 cm. Blooms in May. The fruits ripen in June. Winter hardiness is complete.
And also the forms:
yellow weeping(f. vitellina pendula) - with very long yellow shoots, extremely beautiful near the water; Britzenian(f. vitellina britzensis) - with red shoots; brilliant(f. splendes) - with leaves, silvery on both sides, silky-shiny below; gray(f. coerulea) - a large tree with obliquely upward directed branches and bluish leaves; oval(f. ovalis) - with oblong-elliptical leaves.
White willow varieties are popular abroad" Cremesina"with bright scarlet bark of young shoots and" Vitellina"with golden-yellow bark of annual growth. These varieties are pruned low after or even before flowering, as a result of which the bushes consist only of annual shoots, which allows you to admire their beautiful bright branches against the backdrop of snow every early spring. Over the summer, the shoots grow again, and that’s it repeats from the beginning. In the German company "Kordes" you can purchase varieties " Darts Snake" - a vigorous, wide bush with dark foliage and " Tristis Resistants"is a rust-resistant bush or tree with intensely colored branches; long, feather-like golden-yellow branches make the bush unusually decorative.
Decorative forms are indispensable in single, small group and contrasting plantings. Despite the fact that these are quite large plants, white willow varieties can be grown in a small garden. Their crown can be quickly formed into a beautiful ball. To do this, simply cut the tree at the desired height. If you do not leave the trunk, but plant the plant on a stump (that is, practically cut the tree down to the ground), then you will have the same ball, but lying on the ground. By repeating this procedure periodically, you can keep the plant within certain dimensional limits. With this simple step you can place this beauty in a small area.
Willow, willow, willow, vine, willow, willow (English - willow; Lat. - Salix) - a plant from the Willow family (Latin: Salicaceae) - a genus of deciduous trees and shrubs. The generic name comes from the Celtic sal, close and lis, "water", indicating the predominant habitat. The genus Salix is one of the oldest pre-glacial plants. Its distribution range extends from the Arctic tundra through the temperate zone to the tropics and from the coast to the alpine and subalpine mountain belts. Willows reveal something unique for woody plants variety of species. Among them there are both large trees up to 40 m high and shrubs of various sizes. Many species of willows are pioneers who are the first to populate abandoned lands.
Classification:
One of the most famous and widespread species of tree willows is white or silver willow (Salix alba) , which in Russia is most often called differently - willow.
White willow grows throughout Europe, in our country it extends beyond the Urals, to the south Western Siberia. In the European part, it is distributed to the borders of the forest zone in the north and forest-steppe zone in the south. It is often found in the floodplains of the Volga, Kuban, Don, Dnieper, Ural, Ob and other large rivers, forming willow forests there.
This is a large tree 20-30 m high, with a powerful trunk that reaches a diameter of 1.5 m and is covered with fissured, gray bark. The young branches are very impressive - thin, drooping, silvery-pubescent at the ends. Older shoots are bare, shiny, yellowish or reddish-brown in color. The leaves are alternate, lanceolate, up to 15 cm long, silky-whitish in youth, later dark green above, bare, silvery below, silky-pubescent, which makes the tree very beautiful at the slightest breath of wind. Flower catkins develop simultaneously with leaves. It grows quickly, is photophilous, frost-resistant, has little soil requirements, and tolerates urban conditions well. Propagated by seeds and vegetatively. This plant reproduces well from both summer and lignified cuttings. The rooting percentage is close to 100. There are cases when even stakes dug into the ground take root. Lives up to 100 years. It is an integral element in the compositions of large parks and forest parks located on the banks of large bodies of water. A valuable tree for quick landscaping of new buildings and industrial facilities. Used in groups and for road lining.
Goat willow(Salix caprea) - bredina, or broom. This is the most widely used species in landscaping, growing wild in Europe, the forest zone of Russia, and Central Asia. small tree 12-15 m high and trunk diameter up to 75 cm, with a rounded, densely leafy crown, less often - a tall shrub.
Willow brittle(Salix fragilis), or broom, grows almost throughout Europe, reaching the Volga in the east. A medium-sized tree (15-20 m) with a tent-shaped crown and brittle branches, for which it received its specific name.
Holly willow(Salix acutifolia), or red shell, red willow, willow, is found throughout the European part of Russia - from the forest-tundra in the north to the Ciscaucasia in the south and almost to the Aral Sea in the east. It is a shrub or tree up to 8 m high with an oval crown of medium density and purple-red, twig-like, flexible shoots, covered with an easily erasable bluish coating.
Willow five-stamen(Salixpentandra) is found throughout European Russia and Western Siberia. It is a tree up to 12 m high or a shrub with a rounded, dense crown.
Of the introduced species, the best known willow babylon(Salix babylonica) is native to China. This tree is 10 -12 m high and has a trunk diameter of up to 60 cm. The crown is wide, weeping in shape. It is cultivated in the south of the European part. It is poorly resistant to frost, so its hybrids with white willow are bred further north, almost as decorative as the original species.
Willow forests
Willow forests, or willow forests, are plantings formed by tree-like willows. Shrub willows form thickets (willows or willows). Willow forests of white willow (wildweed) are common in Europe, Asia Minor and Central Asia, in the northwestern part of Africa, and of willow tristamen - in Eurasia and North America, from goat willow - in East Asia.
In Russia, willow forests are found in the forest and forest-steppe zones of the European part, in the North Caucasus, in the south of Western Siberia and in Far East. The area of willow forests in the Russian forest fund is over 800 thousand hectares with a timber reserve of about 10 million m3. The area of tugai forests of Dzungarian and southern tree willows is about 60 thousand hectares in the Volgograd and Astrakhan regions. Willow forests of white willow are mainly concentrated in the floodplains of large rivers (Volga, Don, Kuban, Ural, Ob, etc.). In Siberia and the Far East, the forest-forming species are white willow, dewy willow, three- and five-stamened willow, as well as Schwering willow.
Willow wood:
Willow is a diffusely vascular core species with wide white sapwood, vaguely demarcated from the brownish-pink core. The annual layers and medullary rays are poorly visible, the vessels are small. As for its texture, willow wood has a straight-grained structure, mainly with straight annual layers in a radial section. Overall the texture is inexpressive.
The macrostructure indicators of willow are close to those of poplar, i.e. its wood has a high uniform density (there is no sharp difference between the structure of the early and late wood of the annual layers). As with many scattered vascular rocks, the anatomical irregularities on the surface of longitudinal sections amount to 30 -100 microns. The number of annual layers per 1 cm of white willow growing in central regions The European part of Russia averages 3.6.
In terms of its properties, willow wood is close to linden and poplar. It belongs to the medium-drying breeds. The ability to hold fasteners (nails and screws) is approximately the same as that of aspen and linden.
Willow wood is well impregnated with protective compounds. During the drying process, willow lumber is prone to warping. The stability of the dimensions and shape of willow products is satisfactory.
Due to the high uniform density, straightness and uniform distribution of properties throughout the volume of the trunk, it is well processed by all types cutting tools. Like poplar wood, it has a tendency to develop moss and hairiness. It glues well, sands and paints.
Areas of application of willow wood:
The most well-known use of willow wood is the production of wickerwork, baskets, furniture, etc. The production of such products, which had declined significantly by the mid-20th century, has recently experienced a resurgence due to growing consumer interest in environmentally friendly products.
Willow bark contains about 16% tannins, so it is widely used to obtain tannins needed in the leather industry.
Light and soft willow wood is not widely used in woodworking, but the growing needs for raw materials for the board and pulp and paper industries make plantation growing of willow promising. The ongoing projects for growing willow to solve the problems of bioenergy development have already been mentioned.
Willow wood is used in the production of matches. In everyday life it is used for the manufacture of various household products along with linden and poplar, and in the southern low-forest regions of Russia - in the construction of individual housing.
With the development of the technology of glued products from wood of “unpromising” species, it is possible that the demand for willow wood will increase, as evidenced by the developing production furniture board from poplar, similar in properties to willow. Subsequently, this shield is covered with veneer valuable species or synthetic materials.
Willow plantations are of great importance for protecting the banks of rivers and reservoirs, highways from erosion and landslides. Many decorative forms have been developed that are widely used for urban landscaping.
Willow is included in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia. The bark, leaves and shoots of willow in our country are used so far only in folk medicine as an anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, analgesic for colds and joint diseases, and it is also used in homeopathy.
Preparation of willow twigs
For longer use (for 40 - 50 years) of willow trees to obtain twigs for wicker products, it is necessary to establish their correct cutting, which maintains the productivity of the stumps. For this purpose, in the first 5 years, the rods for weaving are cut annually, then they are allowed to grow for 2-3 years to obtain hoops, then the rods are cut annually again for 2-3 years, etc., alternating correctly; or with each annual cutting of the twigs, 1-2 twigs are left on each stump for 2-3 years, to restore the hoops.
The method of cutting and the tools used are no less important: you should not cut off all the branches of the stump at once, with one stroke, and therefore an ax and a mower are less suitable than a knife, sickle or scissors; the cut should be smooth and made closer to the stump, with the butt (remnant of the rod) no more than 2 cm. One-year-old rods prepared for weaving are tied into bundles or bundles (0.60 - 1.0 m in circumference; a worker prepares 15 - 20 per day fagots); three-year-old rods for hoops are cleared of branches (a worker prepares 1000-2000 of them per day) and are sold in hundreds and thousands.
Weaving rods are sorted: shorter than 60 cm, very branched and with damaged bark, constitute “green goods”, the rest, the best, white - peeled from bark in various ways. Top grade white goods obtained from S. purpurea with S. Lambertiana and S. Uralensis, S. viminalis, S. amygdalina, S. Hyppophaefolia and S. purpu raea + S. viminalis, as well as from S. acuminata, S. longifolia, S. stipularis, S. daphnoides, S. viridis and S. undulata; hoops are prepared mainly from S. viminalis, S. Smithiana and S. acutifolia; The vines are tied (in France) with twigs of S. alba var. vitellina, while larger materials - arc forest - are supplied by S. alba and its crosses: S. excelsior, S. Russeliana, S. viridis and S. palustris.
Willow has many species, including shrubs, trees and creeping species. They grow well, adapt well to urban conditions and are easy to trim. Decorative properties these plants make them their favorites landscape designers. The most popular is the weeping willow, which this article is dedicated to.
Types of weeping willow
There are more than 600 species of willows in nature. They grow everywhere, even found in the tundra and the Arctic.
Weeping willow grows up to 25-30 meters and can live up to 100 years. The trunk of the tree is powerful, covered with gray bark. The crown is wide, spreading. The leaves have a dark green tint, on the underside they are lighter and seem to be covered with whitish fluff.
Weeping willow species amaze with their splendor and diversity. Here are just the most popular of them:
- The tallest (its height is 25-27 meters) and unpretentious appearance. So named due to the silvery color of the leaves. It tolerates frost well and can grow in shaded areas. Looks great among trees with dark green foliage and makes an ideal backdrop for red-leaved trees.
- Goat willow (bredana). In spring, when flowering, fluffy flowers bloom on the shoots of this species, and goat willow looks like a huge dandelion. This weeping willow is planted on a summer cottage in group plantings, although it looks more effective in combination with plants of excellent foliage color.
- Large tree (up to 8 meters) with a large number of branches. When flowering, small cylindrical catkins (up to 6 cm) are formed on the branches, and the bush becomes fluffy during this period.
- The willow is the most graceful. Distinguished from other willows by its shiny stems brown. This type of weeping willow is valued for its good rooting of cuttings and for how quickly it grows (it takes no more than 2 years to grow).
- The tree grows no more than 15 meters in height with a crown up to 9 meters in diameter. It grows quickly and looks effective in group plantings near water bodies.
Selection of seedlings for planting
Under natural conditions, willow can reproduce seeds, and in the willow culture weeping trees reproduce cuttings or receiving a seedling.
First of all, winter stem seedlings with good mature wood are selected. It is advisable that the young animals be one to two years old and harvested either in early spring or late autumn.
Before the buds open, the seedlings are placed in damp sand or in a container of water.
Did you know? Willow appeared on earth a long time ago - its remains are found already in the Cretaceous period, and some modern views(ashy, white, twig-shaped) grew back in the Quaternary era.
Place for planting willow
Planting of weeping willow should be carried out in light, sandy, medium loamy soils. The area should be open, well-lit, sunny, with light partial shade possible.
In addition, in the area where it is planned to grow willow, groundwater should be located close to the surface. If you have a place on your site that is constantly drowning as a result of melting snow, then this is exactly what is comfortable for willow.
Important! Weeping willows do not grow in complete shade. Even under natural conditions, willows are not found in the wilderness.
Optimal time to plant willow
If you want to plant a tree on your site, it is important to correctly determine the time when it is better to plant a weeping willow on permanent place. Best option- in the spring, when the snow has melted. Moreover root system the seedling must be fully formed. You can plant willow in the fall, after the end of sap flow, only in those areas where there is a lot of snow.
Rules for planting willow seedlings
The seedlings are placed in the soil at such a depth that several buds remain on the surface. Before planting weeping willow, dig a hole 60 cm in diameter for tree species and 50 cm - for bushes. The depth of the hole should be 40 cm. If the seedling has a closed root system, the hole should correspond to the diameter of the earthen ball. In the case where the willow is planned to be planted as a hedge, a trench is dug 40 cm deep and 40-50 cm wide.
Did you know? In folk art, willow is associated with sadness and at the same time is a symbol of beauty.
Heavy clay soils require drainage. To do this, pour sand or crushed stone into a layer of 20-30 cm at the bottom of the planting hole.In order for the weeping willow to take root better, you need to prepare a nutrient mixture of soil, peat and compost, taken in equal proportions. You can add 200 g of azofoska to this mixture. Fill the planting hole 1/3 with this mixture and place the seedling.
Then the soil around the seedling is compacted in such a way that a pit is formed around it for irrigation. At the end of planting, 2 buckets of water are poured under each seedling.
If the timing of willow cuttings occurred in the autumn, the soil should be covered with straw or dry leaves, and the seedlings themselves should be covered with spruce branches.
If the stalk turns out to be tall, for the first time, to fix the vertical position, a support peg is installed next to it.
Did you know? Willow is called differently in different regions: willow, vine, chernotal, willow, willow, bredina, lozina, willow.
How to care for a weeping willow
In order for willow to grow quickly and look graceful, you need to know the intricacies of growing and caring for these plants. More attention should be paid to caring for weeping willow for the first time after landing.
Watering
Since willow is a moisture-loving plant, it needs frequent watering and regular spraying.
In the first years, young trees grow quickly, giving an increase of up to 3 meters per year. Therefore, during this period they need to be watered with 2-5 buckets per unit (the tree will absorb as much as it needs). Water the willow either early in the morning or in the evening, after sunset.
Water must be poured not only at the root, but also on the crown.
Did you know? Willow bark has long been used as an antipyretic and anti-inflammatory agent, and salicylic acid gets its name from the Latin salix - willow.
Feeding
Having planted a tree on your site, think about how to apply fertilizing, since it is hardly possible to grow a lush and healthy weeping willow without them. Fertilizing must be carried out in spring or autumn, while digging up the tree trunk.
Any fertilizer (mineral and organic) is suitable for weeping willows. Their application throughout the season guarantees the health of the plant and a chic appearance. In spring and summer, complex fertilizing is applied, and in August - superphosphate and potassium sulfate. The amount of fertilizer depends on the age of the plant.
In spring, it is advisable to loosen the soil near the tree and add mineral fertilizers. In the fall, fallen leaves and wild shoots are removed from the site, and frost-resistant varieties are covered in October-November.
Important! You should not leave fallen leaves under the willow - they contain tannins that have an undesirable effect on the growth of the plant.
Haircut and crown formation
If the weeping willow is not pruned in time, then the natural formation of the crown will occur - the branches will grow chaotically, and the tree will lose its decorative effect. That's why haircut is a mandatory procedure. After pruning, you can get willows of extraordinary shape and beauty.
In the first years of life (up to 5 years), the plant does not need a haircut. The willow is gaining strength, becoming stronger, growing and developing. When the branches grow a meter, you should start the first pruning.
Mostly, willow pruning is carried out in the spring, but this procedure can also be performed in the summer. The tips of the branches are shortened by 30-35 cm. The cut is made directly above the bud directed upward.
Important! You cannot prune willow trees during the flowering period.
Regular pruning of weeping willow branches will allow you to form a luxurious tree with a luxurious crown 5-6 years after planting.
Dangerous diseases and common pests of willow trees
When growing weeping willow, special attention should be paid to pests and diseases that can affect this beauty. So, Most often, willows can be threatened by:
Of the most common willow diseases, it is necessary to highlight:
- powdery mildew;
- rust;
- necrosis;
- spotting;
- I'm scabby.
Besides, the bark and branches should be regularly inspected for the appearance of necrotic signs, in order to take timely measures to prevent the development of the disease. The affected branches are cut back to a healthy area, and the cut areas are treated.
