The willow belongs to the Salix plant genus. Although their synonyms “Chinese willow” or “Babylonian weeping willow” refer to the same tree, what many people do not know is that the deciduous tree comes in numerous species. If you have only ever heard of the real weeping willow, you can find out interesting facts about the different varieties here.
What different types of weeping willow are there?
There are various weeping willow species that were created through hybridization, such as Salix × pendulina Wenderoth and Salix × sepulcralis Simonk. Originally from Asia, frost-resistant, hardy varieties were developed that can grow in German gardens.
How do the different weeping willow species come about?
The crossing of two different species of a plant is called a hybrid. The real weeping willow (Salix babylonica) hybridizes with the following two willow species:
- Silver willow (Salix alba)
- and broken willow (Salix fragilis)
This gives rise to the willow species with the Latin name
- Salix × pendulina Wenderoth
- and Salix × sepulcralis Simonk
There are also many other hybrids whose exact origins are not yet completely known.
Perfectly customized
The weeping willow originally comes from Asia. Unfortunately, the real, imported trees are sensitive to frost. With the possibility of creating hybrids, breeders were able to create winter-hardy specimens that can now be found everywhere in Germany. Of course, it is also these breeds that are mainly offered commercially.
Weeping willows for the small garden
If you want to plant a weeping willow in your own garden, you must definitely plan enough space. Allow a diameter of around 20 meters in which there should be no houses, fences or other trees. If you don't have this space, you don't have to go without a weeping willow. Simply grow the deciduous tree in a pot (€75.00 on Amazon), perhaps even as a bonsai. A regular cut is actually all you need to pay attention to when caring for it. Since the weeping willow is very easy to cut, frequent radical cutting does not pose any problems. In this form you can keep the weeping willow yourself on the balcony.
