Willows

Scientific Name:

Salix spp.

Weeping Willow tree
Photo: M Imhof

Status:

Native to the northern hemisphere.

Plant Description:

Deciduous trees with dark grey, ridged, bark, tough but pliant wood, slender branches and large fibrous, often stoloniferous roots. Leaves are usually elongated (linear, elliptic or oblong) with a serrated or toothed margin.

Male and female flowers occur on separate plants in catkins (drooping racemes). Flowers consist of a floral bract or scale with 1 or 2 tongue-like glands and either 1-15 stamens (male) or a 2-carpellate and an entire or 2-lobed stigma (female). Seeds are silky hairy.

Habitat:

Historically, widely planted along rivers and around lakes. Indicative of fresh-water habitats and very waterlogging tolerant.

Region	Salinity Class	Waterlogging Class
Mallee, Loddon Murray, Central and Northern, Wimmera, Western, Gippsland	S0	W3, W4

Comments:

There are about 12 species or hybrids of Willows in Victoria (see Invasive Plants – Willows (Salix spp.)

Photos for Willows

Weeping Willow leaves
Photo: M Imhof

Willow trees
Photo: A J Brown

Willow leaves and bark

Photo: A J Brown

Willow trunk

Photo: A J Brown

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Weeping Willow leaves Photo: M Imhof	Willow trees Photo: A J Brown
Willow leaves and bark Photo: A J Brown	Willow trunk Photo: A J Brown