WHITE WILLOW 



WHITE WILLOW. YELLOW WILLOW. BLUE WIL- 

 LOW 



Shlix alba var. viicllina ; var. carulea. 



The magnificent willow tree which waves its narrow 

 pointed leaves above our heads in cultivated grounds is in 

 all probability a direct descendant, or a variety, or a hybrid, 

 of the White Willow of Europe which was very early intro- 

 duced into this country and has become very generally nat- 

 uralized. It is one of the few foreign trees which finds no 

 equal among American trees of the same genus. 



Gray says that the original form of Salix alba is now rare- 

 ly found in this country. The common form is Salix vitel- 

 lina or Yellow Willow, so named because of the color of the 

 branchlets. A less common form, Salix cxrulea^ is often seen 

 having green branchlets and dull, bluish green leaves. 



The best characteristic of this willow is its wonderful te- 

 nacity of life. Push a White ^Villow wand ten inches into the 

 ground at the edge of a stream where it may always have 

 water and it will grow, and grow rapidly. 



Loudon says that a plant of Salix alba can be made to turn 

 a summersault, that is, the branches of a young plant may be 

 buried in the soil and the roots left above ground, and that 

 the roots will become branches and the branches will change 

 into roots. 



CRACK WILLOW 



Salix frdgilis. 



This is one of our largest willows, often making a magnifi- 

 cent tree. A native of Europe, it was introduced into this 

 country that its twigs might be used in basket-making ; it has 

 also been cultivated to produce charcoal for gunpowder. 

 Now thoroughly naturalized it is common along the banks 

 of streams and will flourish in any moist situation. 



Ordinarily, it grows fifty or sixty feet high wMth a full 

 round head, spreading limbs and green branchlets. The 



405 



