description
Salix alba is a medium-sized to large deciduous tree of the Saliaceae
family.
This fast-growing (although relatively short-lived) tree it grows up to 10–30 m tall, with a trunk up to 1 m diameter.
Its irregular crown is often leaning. The bark is grey-brown, and in older trees is deeply fissured;
its shoots are usually grey-brown to
green-brown.
White willow leaves are covered with very fine silky white hairs—particularly true for the leaves' undersides—
making this tree paler in hue than most other willows.
The leaves are 5–10 cm long and 0.5–1.5 cm wide.
In the early spring, the tree's flowers are produced in catkins (flowering spikes, typically downy and pendulous) in
and are then pollinated by insects. The tree is dioecious, with male and
female catkins on separate trees. Male catkins are 4–5 cm long; and the slightly shorter
female catkins 3–4 cm long at pollination, though they will lengthen as the fruit matures.
In midsummer when mature, the female catkins comprise numerous small (4 mm)
capsules. Each of these capsules containing numerous minute seeds which are in turn embedded in white down,
which aids wind dispersal.
common names & nomenclature
As mentioned above, this willow is paler than others, due to the white tone of the underside of its leaves lent by the silky white hairs that present themselves there.
The common name of white willow references this paleness.
Also known as:
cricket bat willow, basket willow, crack willow, white willow
