# Salix babylonica

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Species of tree

"Weeping willow" redirects here. For other uses, see [Weeping Willow](/source/Weeping_Willow_(disambiguation)).

Weeping willow Conservation status Data Deficient (IUCN 3.1)[1] Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Clade: Embryophytes Clade: Tracheophytes Clade: Spermatophytes Clade: Angiosperms Clade: Eudicots Clade: Rosids Order: Malpighiales Family: Salicaceae Genus: Salix Species: S. babylonica Binomial name Salix babylonica L. Synonyms[2] List Ficus salix H.Lév. & Vaniot Salix babylonica var. glandulipilosa P.I.Mao & W.Z.Li Salix cantoniensis Hance Salix capitata Y.L.Chou & Skvortsov Salix chinensis Burm.f. Salix dependens Nakai Salix jeholensis Nakai Salix jishiensis C.F.Fang & J.Q.Wang Salix lasiogyne Seemen Salix lenta Fr. Salix matsudana Koidz. Salix matsudana var. anshanensis C.Wang & J.Z.Yan Salix matsudana var. pseudomatsudana (Y.L.Chou & Skvortsov) Y.L.Chou Salix napoleonis F.W.Schultz Salix neolasiogyne Nakai Salix ohsidare Kimura Salix pingliensis Y.L.Chou Salix pseudogilgiana H.Lév. Salix pseudolasiogyne H.Lév. Salix pseudomatsudana Y.L.Chou & Skvortsov Salix subfragilis Andersson Salix yuhkii Kimura

***Salix babylonica*** (**Babylon willow** or **weeping willow**; [Chinese](/source/Chinese_language): 垂柳; [pinyin](/source/Pinyin): *chuí liǔ*) is a species of [willow](/source/Willow) native to dry areas of northern China, [Korea](/source/Korea), [Mongolia](/source/Mongolia), [Japan](/source/Japan), and [Siberia](/source/Siberia) but cultivated for millennia elsewhere in [Asia](/source/Asia), being traded along the [Silk Road](/source/Silk_Road) to southwest Asia and [Europe](/source/Europe).[3][4]

## Description

*Salix babylonica* is a medium- to large-sized [deciduous](/source/Deciduous) tree, growing up to 20–25 m (66–82 ft) tall. It grows rapidly, but has a short lifespan, between 40 and 75 years. The shoots are yellowish-brown, with small buds. The [leaves](/source/Leaf) are alternate and spirally arranged, narrow, light green, 4–16 cm (1.6–6.3 in) long and 0.5–2 cm (0.2–0.8 in) broad, with finely serrate margins and long [acuminate](/source/Leaf_shape) tips; they turn a gold-yellow in autumn. The [flowers](/source/Flower) are arranged in [catkins](/source/Catkin) produced early in the spring; it is [dioecious](/source/Plant_sexuality), with the male and female catkins on separate trees.[3][5]

		- Male flowers of *Salix babylonica*

		- Pendulous [branchlets](/source/Branchlet) of *Salix babylonica*

		- Bark of *Salix babylonica*

		- Leaves of *Salix babylonica*

		- In Brazil

## Taxonomy

*Salix babylonica* was described and named scientifically by [Carl Linnaeus](/source/Carl_Linnaeus) in 1736, who knew the species as the pendulous-branched ("weeping") variant then recently introduced into the Clifford garden in [Hartekamp](/source/Hartekamp) in [The Netherlands](/source/Netherlands).[6]

### Horticultural selections and related hybrids

"Weeping willow" redirects here. For other uses, see [Weeping Willow](/source/Weeping_Willow_(disambiguation)).

Hybrid weeping willows (*Salix × sepulcralis* 'Chrysocoma') in December, with pendulous yellow branchlets ([Central Park](/source/Central_Park))

Early Chinese [cultivar](/source/Cultivar) selections include the original weeping willow, *Salix babylonica* 'Pendula', in which the branches and twigs are strongly pendulous, which was presumably spread along ancient [trade routes](/source/Trade_route).[6] These distinctive trees were subsequently introduced into [England](/source/England) from [Aleppo](/source/Aleppo) in northern [Syria](/source/Syria) in 1730,[7] and have rapidly become [naturalised](/source/Naturalisation_(biology)), growing well along rivers and in parks. These plants are all females, readily propagated [vegetatively](/source/Vegetative_reproduction), and capable of hybridizing with various other kinds of willows, but not breeding true from seed. This type of tree is grown very easily through [plant propagation](/source/Plant_propagation).

Two cultivated [hybrids](/source/Hybrid_(biology)) between pendulous *Salix babylonica* and other species of *Salix* willows also have pendulous branchlets, and are more commonly planted than *S. babylonica* itself:

- *Salix* × *pendulina*, a hybrid with *S. babylonica* accepted as the female parent, but with the male parent unidentified, probably being either *S. euxina* or [*S*. × *fragilis*](/source/Salix_%C3%97_fragilis), but perhaps *[S. pentandra](/source/Salix_pentandra)*.[6][note 1] Of these possibilities, *S*. × *fragilis* is itself a hybrid, with *S. alba* and *S. euxina* as parental species.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

- *Salix* × *sepulcralis*, is a hybrid between *[S. alba](/source/Salix_alba)* and *S. babylonica*.[6]

Cultivars derived from either of these hybrids are generally better adapted than *S. babylonica* to the more humid climates of most heavily populated regions of Europe and North America.[8][9]

### Relation to *Salix matsudana*

A similar willow species also native to northern China, *Salix matsudana* (Chinese willow), is now included in *Salix babylonica* as a [synonym](/source/Synonym_(taxonomy)) by many botanists, including the Russian willow expert [Alexey Skvortsov](/source/Alexey_Skvortsov).[6][8] The only reported difference between the two species is *S. matsudana* has two [nectaries](/source/Nectar) in each female flower, whereas *S. babylonica* has only one; however, this character is variable in many willows (for example, crack willow, [*Salix* × *fragilis*](/source/Salix_%C3%97_fragilis), can have either one or two), so even this difference may not be taxonomically significant.[8] A horticultural variant with twisted twigs and trunk, the corkscrew willow (*S. matsudana* var. *tortuosa*), is widely planted.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## Cultivation

*[Weeping Willow](/source/Weeping_Willow_(painting))*, by [Claude Monet](/source/Claude_Monet) (1918)

*Salix babylonica*, especially its pendulous-branched ("weeping") form, has been introduced into many other areas, including [Europe](/source/Europe) and the southeastern [United States](/source/United_States), but beyond China, it has not generally been as successfully cultivated as some of its hybrid derivatives, being sensitive to late-spring frosts. In the more humid [climates](/source/Climate) of much of [Europe](/source/Europe) and eastern [North America](/source/North_America), it is susceptible to a [canker](/source/Canker) disease, willow anthracnose (*[Marssonina salicicola](/source/Marssonina_salicicola)*), which makes infected trees very short-lived and unsightly.[8][9]

### Cultivars

*Salix babylonica* (Babylon willow) has many cultivars, including:

- 'Babylon' (synonym: 'Napoleon') is the most widely grown cultivar of *S. babylonica*, with its typical weeping branches.[6]

- 'Crispa' (synonym: 'Annularis') is a mutant of 'Babylon', with spirally curled leaves.

Various cultivars of *Salix matsudana* (Chinese willow) are now often included within *Salix babylonica*, treated more broadly, including:

- 'Pendula' is a weeping tree, with a silvery shine, hardier, and more disease resistant.

- 'Tortuosa' is an upright tree with twisted and contorted branches, marketed as corkscrew willow.

Other weeping willow cultivars are derived from interspecific *Salix* hybrids, including *S. babylonica* in their parentage.[6] The most widely grown weeping willow cultivar is *Salix × sepulcralis* 'Chrysocoma', with bright yellowish branchlets.[8][9]

## Uses

Peking willow is a popular [ornamental tree](/source/Ornamental_plant) in northern China, and is also grown for [wood](/source/Wood) production and [shelterbelts](/source/Shelterbelts) there, being particularly important around the [oases](/source/Oasis) of the [Gobi Desert](/source/Gobi_Desert), protecting agricultural land from desert winds.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

Weeping willow tea has been reported successfully used for rooting a wide variety of plants including but not limited to; goji, Himalayan raspberry, limequat, honeyberry, lemon verbena.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## Origin

The epithet *babylonica* in this Chinese species' scientific name (*S. babylonica*), as well as the related common names "Babylon willow" or "Babylon weeping willow", derive from a misunderstanding by [Linnaeus](/source/Carl_Linnaeus) that this willow was the tree described in the [Bible](/source/Bible) in the opening of [Psalm 137](/source/Psalm_137) (here in Latin and English translations):

- From the [Clementine Vulgate](/source/Sixto-Clementine_Vulgate) (Latin, 1592):

- - Super flumina Babylonis illic sedimus et flevimus, cum recordaremur Sion. - In salicibus in medio ejus suspendimus organa nostra....

- Here, *"salicibus"* is the dative plural of the Latin noun *salix*, the willows, used by Linnaeus as the name for the willow genus *Salix*.

- From the [King James Version](/source/Authorized_King_James_Version) (English, 1611):

- - By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. - We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.

- From the [Revised Standard Version](/source/Revised_Standard_Version) (English, 1952):

- - By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion - On the willows there we hung up our lyres....

Despite these Biblical references to "willows", whether in Latin or English, the trees growing in [Babylon](/source/Babylon) along the [Euphrates River](/source/Euphrates_River) in ancient [Mesopotamia](/source/Mesopotamia) (modern [Iraq](/source/Iraq)) and named *gharab* in early [Hebrew](/source/Hebrew_language), are not willows (*[Salix](/source/Salix)*) in either the modern or the classical sense, but the Euphrates poplar (*[Populus euphratica](/source/Populus_euphratica)*), with willow-like leaves on long, drooping shoots, in the related [genus](/source/Genus) *[Populus](/source/Populus)*.[7][8] Both *Populus* and *Salix* are in the plant family [Salicaceae](/source/Salicaceae), the willow family.

These Babylonian trees are correctly called poplars, not willows, in the [New International Version](/source/New_International_Version) of the *Bible* (English, 1978):

- - By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion - There on the poplars we hung our harps.

## Explanatory notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** The names *Salix euxina* and *Salix* × *fragilis* as used here follow current (2011) classifications of *Salix*;[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] Santamour and McArdle called these species *Salix fragilis* and *Salix* × *rubens*, respectively.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-iucn_1-0)** Barstow (2021). ["*Salix babylonica*"](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/61960227/61960237). *[IUCN Red List of Threatened Species](/source/IUCN_Red_List)*. **2021** e.T61960227A61960237. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T61960227A61960237.en](https://doi.org/10.2305%2FIUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T61960227A61960237.en). Retrieved 16 October 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["*Salix babylonica* L."](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:777133-1) *Plants of the World Online*. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2020.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-foc_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-foc_3-1) Flora of China: [*Salix babylonica*](http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200005760)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-grin_4-0)** ["*Salix babylonica*"](https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=32683). *[Germplasm Resources Information Network](/source/Germplasm_Resources_Information_Network)*. [Agricultural Research Service](/source/Agricultural_Research_Service), [United States Department of Agriculture](/source/United_States_Department_of_Agriculture). Retrieved 15 December 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-rhs_5-0)** Huxley, A., ed. (1992). *New RHS Dictionary of Gardening*. Macmillan [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-333-47494-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-333-47494-5).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Cultivars_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Cultivars_6-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Cultivars_6-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Cultivars_6-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Cultivars_6-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-Cultivars_6-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-Cultivars_6-6) Santamour, F.S. & McArdle, A.J. (1988). Cultivars of Salix babylonica and other Weeping Willows. Journal of Arboriculture 14: 180-184

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Michigan_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Michigan_7-1) Barnes, Burton V. & [W.H. Wagner Jr.](/source/Warren_H._Wagner) (2004). [*Michigan Trees: A guide to the trees of the Great Lakes region (revised and updated)*](https://archive.org/details/michigantreesgui0000barn). Ann Arbor, Michigan: The University of Michigan Press. pp. x + 448 pp. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-472-08921-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-472-08921-5).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-bean4_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-bean4_9-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-bean4_9-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-bean4_9-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-bean4_9-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-bean4_9-5) Bean, W. J. (1980). *Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles* 8th ed., vol. 6. John Murray [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-7195-2428-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7195-2428-8).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-rdm_10-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-rdm_10-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-rdm_10-2) Meikle, R. D. (1984). *Willows and Poplars of Great Britain and Ireland*. BSBI Handbook No. 4. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-901158-07-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-901158-07-0).

## Further reading

- *Flora of China:* eFloras, [*Salix babylonica*](http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200005760), vol. 4, p. 186

- ["Salix babylonica"](https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Salix+babylonica). *[Plants for a Future](/source/Plants_for_a_Future)*.

- ["Salix matsudana"](https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Salix+matsudana). *[Plants for a Future](/source/Plants_for_a_Future)*.

## External links

- Data related to [Salix babylonica](https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Search/Salix_babylonica) at Wikispecies

- Media related to [Salix babylonica](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Salix_babylonica) at Wikimedia Commons

Taxon identifiers Salix babylonica Wikidata: Q156307 Wikispecies: Salix babylonica AoFP: 2003 APA: 3317 APDB: 153348 APNI: 59743 BioLib: 38924 BOLD: 254532 Calflora: 7262 CoL: 6XCM7 eFloraSA: Salix_babylonica EPPO: SAXBA EUNIS: 182624 FloraBase: 20063 FNA: 200005760 FoAO2: Salix babylonica FoC: 200005760 FoIO: SALBAB GBIF: 5372639 GISD: 1762 GRIN: 32683 iNaturalist: 58316 IPNI: 777133-1 IRMNG: 11166420 ITIS: 22503 IUCN: 61960227 MoBotPF: 286787 NatureServe: 2.160018 NBN: NBNSYS0000004910 NCBI: 75706 NSWFlora: Salix~babylonica NZOR: 551332b4-4dde-4aeb-82ce-490af3e215f7 NZPCN: 2966 Observation.org: 121654 Open Tree of Life: 164204 PFI: 187 Plant List: kew-5004552 PLANTS: SABA POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:777133-1 RHS: 66012 Tropicos: 28300082 VASCAN: 9075 VicFlora: 1142574f-4f29-4f7b-9021-cbd4d1ed6009 WFO: wfo-0000930856

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Salix babylonica](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salix_babylonica) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salix_babylonica?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.