Weeping Willow

Scientifically, the weeping willow is known as Salix babylonica, and was named by Carl Linnaeus, the father of taxonomy, which is the scientific naming of organisms. When reading or hearing the name Salix babylonica, the second half of the name might remind you of the ancient city of Babylon. This was done on purpose by Carl Linnaus. He thought the weeping willow in Europe was the weeping willow of Babylon from the Christian Bible. The willow also has a tie to Ancient Greece, as the father of medicine, Hippocrates (460-370BCE), used the bark for its medicinal properties. The bark of the willow produces a metabolite called salicin, which acts like aspirin and is used to relieve pain. The tree also produces metabolites called flavonoids that have anti-inflammatory properties.

The weeping willow tree is characterized by its silver colored bark. The wood from this tree also tends to be rather fragile compared to other trees. This tree does not grow very tall, instead maxing out between 30 and 50 feet tall. The leaves of the willow tree are also rather interesting. They are slender and linear with serrated edges. The leaves tend to be light green on their top side, their adaxial surface, and green-gray on the underside, the abaxial surface. Botanically, the leaves are simple leaves, and they grow in an alternating pattern down the branch. In the fall, the leaves turn yellow and fall off, making this a deciduous tree species.

The willow is a monoecious species. Monoecious trees produce both male and female reproductive structures on the same tree. In the spring, the willow grows special flowers called catkins. The sex of the catkin can be determined based on its length, where male catkins tend to be longer than the female catkins. Once pollen is transferred from the male to female catkin, fertilization occurs. The fruits then grow from the female catkin.

These fruits house the seeds, and they are dispersed by animals that eat the fruits. The fruits can also be eaten by us, though they don’t have a very good taste. Even the leaves of the willow are edible and highly nutritious. To get the medicinal benefits of the bark, it has to be eaten. Practically the entire willow is edible.

Thank you for listening. I hope you learned something new about the weeping willow. Feel free to explore the other willow trees on campus using the map below.

These resources are a product of Dr. Sara Wright’s Plant Diversity course in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Department. My name is Lilliana De Salas, and I will earn my Biological Sciences  degree in 2023. I plan to pursue a career in ecology and evolutionary sciences. You can read more about me and the weeping willow below.