Ardagh Village Landscapes
Ardagh, Co. Longford, Ireland

Weeping Willow

Salix babylonica

This is an attractive, deciduous, weeping tree of medium size (height and spread 40 feet). It has pendant green to brown shoots, lance shaped, saw toothed tapered mid green leaves up to 4 inches long. Slender silver green catkins are produced in spring with the leaves. Male catkins being 2 inches long and female are 1 inch long. A native of China they have long cultivated in Europe, North Africa and West Asia.

It will grow in any deep rich soil in sun or slight shade. It is a beautiful specimen tree that looks very well growing on a large lawn particularly if it is close to a pond and the pendent branches are overhanging the water or alongside a stream or river. It also looks very well in large gardens with period houses as it evokes certain images of particular time periods.

It can be propagated from greenwood cuttings in early summer or hardwood cuttings in winter.