The willow is represented in countless species even here in Germany. In order to distinguish between the individual willow species, it helps to take a closer look at some characteristics. With the silver pasture, for example, you can orientate yourself on the fruits. It's not just the external appearance that leads to reliable identification, the time at which the fruit ripens is also important. Find out everything you need to know about the fruits of the white willow on this page.
What does the fruit of the white willow look like?
The fruits of the white willow are elongated capsule fruits that ripen between May and June. They contain white, densely hairy seeds that are propagated by wind dispersal. However, the seeds only have a short-term germination ability.
Features at a glance
- Type of fruit: capsule fruits
- Time of fruit ripening: May to June
- Shape of fruit clusters: elongated
Release of seeds
After the leaves emerge from April to May, the flowers of the white willow appear. These are the well-known kittens, which have a cylindrical shape and have noticeable hair. They can reach a length of up to seven centimeters. You can recognize male kittens by their yellow color. The female flowers, on the other hand, are initially green, but later form a woolly, white coating. The catkins are pollinated by insects. The white willow particularly attracts bees. Because the deciduous tree opens its flowers before all other native tree species, it serves as an important source of nectar for busy honey collectors. The flowers later develop into small capsule fruits containing a white, densely hairy seed. The seeds are ripe by July at the latest, but usually as early as June, so that the white willow can reproduce independently. It uses the wind to spread. However, the seeds only have a short-term ability to germinate.
Special features of cultivated forms
In order to adapt the deciduous tree ideally to the environmental conditions, the white willow is often used to breed so-called hybrids. A special breeding form of this species is the equally well-known weeping willow. Actually, willows only have flowers of a single gender, with the male population predominating. What is noticeable about the weeping willow is that female catkins also appear next to the male ones.
