WHITE WILLOW 
WHI1 2 WILLOW. YELLOW WILLOW. BLUE WIL- 
LOW 
Salix dlba var. vilellina ; var. caritlea, 
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 Sa//x alba is now rare- 
ly found in this country. The common form is Salix uitel- 
lina or Yellow Willow, so named because of the color of the 
branchlets. A less common form, Salix cerulea, 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 Willow 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 Sa/ix 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 frégilis. 
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 with a full 
round head, spreading limbs and green branchlets. The 
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