the.com/weeping willow
a tree that turned dramatic sadness into the most graceful posture in any garden.
means A large willow tree (Salix species) known for its long, slender branches that droop downward toward the ground, giving it a melancholy, cascading appearance.
from The "willow" half is ancient, from Old English "welig," a name for these water-loving trees that has Germanic cousins. "Weeping" describes the drooping, tear-like fall of the branches — a use of "weep" for downward-trailing plants that English has applied to other species too (the weeping birch, the weeping cherry). The image of the willow as a tree of sorrow runs deep in Western tradition, appearing in the Bible's Psalm 137 ("we hanged our harps upon the willows") and later in Shakespeare, so the "weeping" name married a real botanical droop to a long-standing poetic mood.
- bark medicine
- its salicin inspired the chemistry behind aspirin
- clone army
- a single twig can root into a whole tree
- thirsty roots
- they'll invade pipes hunting for water
- not native
- originally from northern China, not weeping anywhere local
- fast living
- grows quickly but rarely lives past 50 years
napoleon's tomb willow — tree at napoleon's grave on st helena island, planted 1821, still standing
salix alba tristis — scientific name of the classic weeping willow species, native to china, cultivated worldwide since 1700s