Content
White willow attracts the attention of amateur gardeners and landscape design specialists with its unusual appearance. In addition, by planting it on your site, you can not only create original compositions, but also get benefits, because various parts of the tree are actively used in folk and official medicine. White willow does not require complex care; the main thing is to choose the right place to plant it.
Description and characteristics of white willow
White or silver willow (Latin name - Salix Alba) is a type of deciduous tree or shrub that is part of the genus and family of the same name. The shape of the plant depends on the presence or absence of mechanical damage: if the tree has been broken or cut down, one trunk turns into several thinner ones. In another way, white willow is called willow.
The white willow also has other folk nicknames, for example, “white creeper” or “broom”
The height reaches 20-30 m. The shoots are quite thin, “weeping”, drooping at the ends, intensively branching.The crown of the white willow is shaped like a “lace” tent or hemisphere. In “girth” it is often comparable to the height of the plant, especially if it is not a tree, but a shrub. The trunks are quite thick; in very old specimens their diameter can reach 80-100 cm.
White willow does not have a tap root. Its root system grows mainly in width and does not go deep into the soil. The degree of its development depends on the average level of soil moisture - the drier it is, the larger the area it occupies.
Annual growth of white willow, depending on the specific species, is olive green or reddish brown. Then the shade changes to yellowish brick.
The oldest branches of the white willow are partially “bare”: the bark peels off in places, the remaining ones are covered with deep longitudinal cracks
According to the botanical description, white willow leaves are oppositely located. The shape varies from lanceolate to narrowed lanceolate (length ranging from 5-15 cm with a width of 1-3 cm). The edges of white willow leaf blades are finely serrated, the tip is pointed. In autumn they turn yellow or bronze quite early, but do not fall off for a long time and stay on the branches until the first cold weather.
The front side of the white willow leaves is bright green, the back side is silver, covered with thick, short, soft “lint”
The plant is dioecious - trees can be “male” or “female”. White willow flowers are collected in fairly “loose”, thick inflorescences-“earrings” 3-5 cm long. “Female” ones are a little thinner, greenish in color, “male” ones are fluffy, yellow-beige.
“Female” white willow flowers last on the tree for 1.5-2 months, “male” ones - a maximum of two weeks
White willow blooms in central Russia at the end of April, and the leaves bloom at the same time. Seed pods, about 5 mm long, form quickly, 4-5 weeks after.
Winter hardiness of white willow
White willow has very high cold tolerance. According to the generally accepted classification, it belongs to the second USDA zone. This means that the tree will survive the winter with frosts ranging from -40-45 °C without damage or with minor damage.
White willow lifespan
The lifespan of white willow largely depends on growing conditions. But, in general, this tree is a “long-liver”. Specimens aged 100 years or more are a typical occurrence.
Types of white willow
There are two “spontaneous” mutations of white willow:
- Silver. The height of white willow reaches a maximum of 12 m. The name is due to the fact that the front side of the leaves seems to be glossy. In the sun it appears to be a willow with silvery leaves.
In landscape design, silver white willow is used for landscaping parks and squares.
- Crying. Low (up to 7 m) tree. The crown of white willow resembles a cascade of very thin and long (2.5-3 m) branches. Looks impressive both in group plantings and “solo”.
Weeping white willow is able to “put up with” a lack of light, although in the shade the crown becomes not at all as “lush”
There are also varieties of white willow created by breeders:
- Argentea. The tree is 20-25 m high. The shoots of white willow are densely leafy, the leaves are quite large (8-10 cm).When they first bloom, both sides are silvery-white, smooth; later this shade is retained only on the reverse side, the front side becomes dark green. In autumn, white willow foliage changes color to lemon yellow.
White willow Argentea is very decorative during flowering: there are no leaves on the tree yet, it looks like a pastel yellow “cloud”
- Limpde. The height, depending on cultivation conditions, varies between 20-40 m. The crown is quite narrow, pyramidal. The shade of white willow bark changes from yellowish to light brown and dark gray as it grows.
White willow Limpde is able to adapt to waterlogged soil, but will not survive in waterlogged soil
- Tristis. Grows up to 15-20 m. The crown is tent-shaped, the shoots hang to the ground. Young branches are bright yellow. White willow leaves change color from silver-green to lime yellow in autumn.
White willow Tristis is more drought-resistant than many “relatives”
- Chermesina. It can be either a tree or a large bush with a height of 7-10 m. It is easily “identified” by its yellow or orange-red shoots. The leaves of white willow are quite dull, gray-green.
For maximum brightness of the bark, white willow Chermezina needs proper pruning, preserving the maximum number of young shoots
Where does white willow grow in Russia?
In Russia, this is a tree typical of the middle zone. Although, in principle, white willow “lives” everywhere on its territory, with the exception of the Far North and arid regions, where the climate is reminiscent of Central or Asia Minor. Its habitat has been successfully expanding for a long time, thanks to “forced relocation.” White willow can “rise” in height to about 2000 m.
White willow easily “gets along” with people - they can be found on dams, along roads, and so on.
Since white willow initially prefers a moist substrate, in nature it most often settles along the banks of lakes, rivers, and next to other bodies of water. Often it “displaces” other plants, forming groves several tens of kilometers long, stretching along the river bed.
Features of cultivation
White willow prefers an acidified substrate, but it also “takes root” on soil with a neutral pH. The worst option for it is alkaline soil. Unlike many plants, white willow is more or less resistant to the salinity of the substrate.
White willow feels best in sandy or sandy-silty soil. She also needs good lighting.
White willow tolerates even prolonged (up to six months) flooding, forming new roots for normal air exchange
White willow with a closed root system can be planted throughout the season (mid-April, end of September), taking into account local climatic nuances. The approximate dimensions of the planting hole are 50-60 cm in diameter and 40 cm in depth. The minimum spacing between trees is 3 m.
White willow requires the simplest care:
- Watering. If there is no pond nearby, in the first season the seedling is watered weekly (25-30 liters at a time). In extreme heat, it is advisable to spray the crown. Then the tree will make do with natural precipitation and moisture from the soil; it is watered only if there is no rain for more than two weeks in a row.
- Feeding.Before flowering in the spring, white willow is watered with a solution of mineral nitrogen fertilizer. Then, from May to September, complex fertilizing for decorative leafy garden crops is applied 2-3 times at approximately equal intervals.
- Trimming. Most often, white willow is formed as a standard tree, removing all the growth on the trunk below 1.5-1.8 m. The crown is thinned out evenly, the ends of the shoots touching the ground are pruned. Starting from the age of 15-20 years, 1-2 oldest branches are removed annually.
- Shelter for the winter. White willow is necessary during the first three seasons only if the winter is very harsh and with little snow.
White willow is able to regulate water consumption: when there is an excess of it, drops appear on the leaves
White willow propagation
White willow practically does not form basal shoots. In nature, it successfully reproduces by self-sowing. However, in captivity, targeted sowing of seeds is rarely practiced - they quickly lose their viability.
Most often, to obtain new specimens of white willow, they resort to cuttings. The planting material gives roots very quickly and easily; even shoots that have broken and fallen to the ground often take root.
The approximate length of a white willow cutting is 25-30 cm. At least two growth buds are required. Only the middle part of the branch is used. Planting material is harvested in mid-spring or early autumn.
It is “planted” by burying it approximately halfway into the ground, leaving at least one growth bud above the ground surface. If you provide the “greenhouse effect”, good lighting and do not let the soil dry out, roots will appear within 6-7 days.
The cutting can be either “green” or lignified
Diseases and pests
Fungal and other diseases are not a typical occurrence for white willow. However, if a gardener completely neglects a tree, it may be affected by rust or powdery mildew. The first disease of white willow is indicated by the appearance of “hairy” bright orange spots on the underside of leaves and shoots, the second is indicated by a powdery whitish coating on all parts of the plant.
Treatment with fungicides will help cope with white willow disease. First, the most affected branches and leaves of white willow are cut off. Not only the tree itself is sprayed, but also the soil in the circle around the trunk. The working solution is prepared according to the instructions in the instructions. It is also used in other matters, for example, when determining the number and frequency of treatments.
The experience of gardeners shows that white willow can be attacked by:
- aphid;
- leaf roller;
- flower fly larvae, white moth caterpillars, cutworms, hawthorn caterpillars, and other butterflies.
Pests feed on the sap and tissues of white willow. Therefore, their presence on white willow quickly becomes obvious from holes in the leaves or leaf plates eaten away to the point of a “skeleton” of veins. Any universal insecticides with a wide spectrum of action will help get rid of them.
White willow in landscape design
White willow in landscape design provides compositions with a certain “chaos” and creates a feeling of slight “carelessness.” Given the tree’s ability to adapt to high substrate humidity, it is often planted next to natural or artificial reservoirs.
It is desirable that the overall “pattern” include elements of asymmetry and free layout
The spreading crown of white willow will successfully complement rock gardens and rockeries. To prevent the composition from seeming overly gloomy, it is better to use light stones and add bright accents. These can be either flowers (annual or perennial) or decorative dwarf conifers with unusual colored needles.
Due to its rapid growth and ability to easily tolerate pruning, white willow is often used to form hedges. But planting alone in a vast open space is not a very good idea. Due to the size and structural features of the crown, white willow is characterized by high windage: its shoots easily break in strong winds, especially in combination with rain.
Conclusion
White willow is a tree distinguished by its original appearance, outstanding cold resistance and ease of care even by Russian standards, and is rarely affected by diseases and pests. Therefore, it is readily used for “beautification” of both private garden plots and urban areas.
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