When people mention willow catkins drifting in the air, everyone thinks of a picture of a summer pond. So how many varieties of willow are there in the world? Generally when do they sprout, bloom and bear fruit? According to relevant information, willow is the general name for Salix plants such as Salix matsudana, Salix chaenomeloides, Salix babylonica, Salix alba, Salix globosa and Salix purpurea. There are about 520 or more species in the world, mainly produced in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, fewer in the frigid zone, very few in the tropics and the Southern Hemisphere, and no wild species in Oceania. China has 257 species, 122 varieties and 33 forms. They are produced in all provinces and regions. In addition, willows generally sprout in spring, blooming at the same time, with flowers before leaves; the flowers are generally white (some are red), and the flowering period is generally in March-April on the solar calendar, or the 2nd-3rd lunar month (who knows where the slender leaves are cut out? The February spring breeze is like scissors, which speaks of willow sprouting). One month later, that is, in April-May, the fruit ripens, willow catkins drift all over the sky, and then in autumn the leaves wither.
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<p style="text-indent:2em;">There are many kinds of willow, and they cross easily. Hybrids have strong growth vigor and adaptability and are easy to propagate vegetatively. Excellent clonal varieties can be obtained by selecting from natural or artificial hybrid populations and propagating vegetatively; in addition, plant tissue culture methods can also be used to quickly obtain large numbers of high-quality saplings. For breeding focused on garden ornamental use, emphasis should be placed on improving their branches, leaves and tree form, and enhancing their ability to resist pollution and tolerate pruning and shaping.</p>
<p style="text-indent:2em;">Willows have graceful tree forms and leaf out and bloom early. In early spring the whole tree is tender green, and it is one of the main tree species in parks of the northern temperate zone. For example, Salix babylonica and Salix koreensis have slender, drooping branches and willow leaves like eyebrows. Many shrub willows tolerate pruning and can be trained into various shapes of thickets or used as hedges. For waterside greening in garden landscapes, willow is most suitable, such as the “Orioles Singing in the Willows” at West Lake in Hangzhou, and the “Peach Stream and Willow Bank” at Huaxi in Guiyang. There are also many beautiful willows yet to be developed, such as Salix magnifica, with large leaves like magnolia, purplish-red branches, and long reddish-yellow flower spikes; the female plants have red styles and stigmas and are also very attractive. In addition, there are more than 20 species of small alpine willows, with plants only 5-30 cm tall, and branches creeping or upright, twisted, and varied in form; they have a long lifespan, are easy to keep alive, and are good material for making garden bonsai. They are often used for garden ornament,
<p style="text-indent:2em;">residential compounds, gardens, schools, factories, hillsides, courtyards, roadsides and in front of buildings. When in full bloom, the branches spread out in all directions, making the courtyard full of green strips, with high ornamental value; it is truly an ideal tree species for beautifying courtyards. It has strong resistance to air pollution and dust, and is suitable for growing in urban gardens, especially beside ponds or streams.</p>
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<p style="text-indent:2em;">Appendix: The willow that blooms red flowers: Callistemon viminalis</p>
<p style="text-indent:2em;">Callistemon viminalis, also known as weeping bottlebrush, bottlebrush tree, nhiều hoa red bottlebrush and red bottlebrush. It is native to Australia, and its branches are soft and drooping, like a weeping willow; its flower shape is similar to a red baby bottle brush, hence it is also called red bottlebrush. After being introduced to Taiwan, China, some people called it Western willow based on its tree form.</p>
<p style="text-indent:2em;">Callistemon viminalis is an evergreen small tree in the family Myrtaceae and the genus Callistemon. Its flowers are red, with very long red filaments forming rings of long flower clusters. Callistemon viminalis enters its flowering period every March, when each tree blooms with dozens of red flowers, like red baby bottle brushes hanging on the tree; the soft branches sway in the wind, graceful and charming, and the bright red petals set off the green leaves, striking and eye-catching.</p>
<p style="text-indent:2em;">In any case, this Australian willow from the Southern Hemisphere is never as deeply affectionate and meaningful as the willow of Baqiao!</p>
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When people mention willow catkins drifting through the air, everyone pictures a summer pond scene. So how many varieties of willow trees are there in the world? When do they generally sprout, bloom, and bear fruit? According to relevant information, willow is the general term for Salix plants such as dry land willow, glandular willow, weeping willow, white willow, round-headed willow, and purple willow. There are about 520 species in the world, mainly native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, fewer in the frigid zone, very few in the tropics and Southern Hemisphere, and no wild species in Oceania. China has 257 species, 122 varieties, and 33 forms. They grow in every province and region. In addition, willows generally sprout in spring, blooming at the same time, with leaves appearing before flowers; the flowers are generally white (some are red), and the flowering period is generally in March-April on the solar calendar, or the 2nd-3rd lunar month (who knows where the slender leaves are cut from? The February spring breeze is like scissors, which describes willow sprouting). One month later, in April-May, the fruit ripens, willow catkins drift everywhere, and then by autumn the leaves wither.
There are many kinds of willows, and they crossbreed easily. Hybrids have strong growth vigor and adaptability, and are easy to propagate vegetatively. Fine clonal varieties can be obtained by selecting from natural or artificial hybrid populations and propagating vegetatively; in addition, plant tissue culture can also be used to quickly obtain large numbers of high-quality saplings. For breeding focused on ornamental garden use, emphasis should be placed on improving their branches, leaves, and tree shape, and on enhancing their resistance to pollution and their ability to tolerate pruning and shaping.
Willows have graceful tree shapes and leaf out and bloom early. In early spring the whole tree is tender green, making them one of the main tree species in the parks of the northern temperate zone. For example, weeping willow and Korean weeping willow have slender, drooping branches and eyebrow-like willow leaves. Many shrub willows tolerate pruning and can be cultivated into thickets of various shapes or used as hedges. For waterside greening in garden landscapes, willows are most suitable, such as the “Orioles Singing in the Willows” at West Lake in Hangzhou, and the “Peach Stream and Willow Bank” at Huaxi in Guiyang. There are also many beautiful willows yet to be developed, such as the big-leaf willow, whose leaves are large, like magnolia, with purplish-red branches and long, large reddish-yellow flower spikes; the female plants have red styles and stigmas and are also very attractive. In addition, there are more than 20 species of small alpine willows, with plants only 5-30 cm tall, with creeping or upright, twisted branches of various forms, long-lived and easy to grow, making them good materials for garden bonsai. They are often used for garden ornament,
in residential compounds, gardens, schools, factories, hillsides, courtyards, roadsides, and in front of buildings. When in full bloom, the branches spread out in all directions, giving the courtyard strips of green and offering high ornamental value; it is truly an ideal tree species for beautifying courtyards. It has strong resistance to air pollution and dust, and is suitable for growing in urban gardens, especially beside ponds or streams.
Appendix: A willow with red flowers: bottlebrush tree
Callistemon viminalis, also known as weeping bottlebrush, bottlebrush tree, multi-flowered bottlebrush, and red bottlebrush. Native to Australia, its branches are soft and drooping, like a weeping willow, and its flowers resemble red baby bottle brushes, hence the name red bottlebrush. After being introduced to Taiwan, China, some people called it Western willow based on its tree shape.
Callistemon viminalis is an evergreen small tree in the Myrtaceae family and the Callistemon genus. Its flowers are red, with very long red filaments forming circle after circle of long flower strings. Each year in March, Callistemon viminalis enters its flowering period, with dozens of red flowers blooming on each tree, like red baby bottle brushes hanging on the tree; the soft branches sway in the wind, graceful and charming, and the bright red petals set off the green leaves, gorgeous and eye-catching.
In any case, this Australian willow from the Southern Hemisphere can never compare with the deep affection and lasting meaning of the Ba Bridge willow!