Thursday, February 18, 2010

Salix babylonica (Weeping Willow)

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Common name : Weeping Willow ( Chinese: 垂柳)

Salix babylonica is native to dry areas of northern China, but cultivated for millennia elsewhere in Asia. However, most  Weeping Willows outside China are hybrids between this cultivar with other willow species.

The scientific name babylonica derives from a misunderstanding by Linnaeus that it was the tree described in the Bible in Psalm 137, "By the rivers of Babylon, ... hung our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof ...". However, the tree named gharab in early Hebrew, is now known as Populus euphratica.(source : wikipedia).

This tree is very easy to adapt to various soil types, except very dry areas. Weeping Willow is a fast growing deciduous tree, which grow up to 25 m tall. Although these plants grow fast, but they were short-lived