Many of us have been familiar with the beautiful willow tree since childhood. And it is not surprising, because it is widespread throughout our country. It is also called willow, vine, willow, depending on its location. Unpretentious in its care, but responding with gratitude for care in the form of a chic lush crown, a powerful pillar, graceful hanging branches and leaves of many shades.
This beauty will be a wonderful addition to the landscape design of any garden. If you have a large area with artificial ponds at your disposal, then you can safely place 2-3 tall trees.
If the area is small, you should pay attention to decorative medium or low-growing varieties of willows, which allow you to place individual accents on specific areas of the garden.
Application
Willows are widely used in industries such as agriculture, industrial production, medicine and landscape design.
In agriculture, willow acts as a honey plant, as feed for livestock, and to eliminate or prevent erosion on the banks. It also provides a huge function in the field of water purification and drainage of wetlands.
In medicine, willow has long been used as a pain reliever and a cure for fever. Later, many useful components were discovered in different parts of this tree. And salicylic acid, known to many, and widely used today, was first discovered in willow.
In production, willows were often used to create hedges, weave furniture, baskets, boxes and even cradles. Even fabric can be obtained from this plant, which pays tribute to the new eco-friendly fashion.
And finally, as previously mentioned, willow, in its variety of species, is an excellent decoration for a garden plot. In addition, it grows quite quickly and does not require particularly complex care.
Thanks to human activity and mutations, there are currently at least 550 varieties of willows. It makes no sense to consider all of them; it is worth focusing on the most basic and most frequently occurring ones.
Tree species diversity
Trees of the willow family are distinguished by a transparent, see-through crown, thin and flexible shoots and narrow, pointed, oblong leaves. Willow fruits are small flowers. There are dwarf and shrub willows, many species reach up to 15 m in height, and the tallest - up to 40 m.
The diversity of species of this plant is the result of mutations occurring in nature, as well as human activity. During the study of the tree, a large number of hybrids were bred, even botanists found it difficult to classify. And today, thanks to their work, we can distinguish the most common types of willow, various forms, varieties and varieties, including decorative ones:
- silver;
- rod-shaped;
- crying.
Silver or white willow
Silver or white willow is a large tree up to 30 m high, with a spreading openwork crown and thick bark. Popular in Russia, China, Asia Minor and Western Europe. It is found on the banks of rivers and reservoirs; in favorable conditions it grows very quickly and can occupy vast areas; The tree is durable, not picky about soil, and can grow up to 100 years.
Willow shaggy (aka woolly)
It can also be classified as a dwarf willow; its height is no more than a meter. The shape resembles a ball with thick young shoots covered with down. The leaves are velvety, silver in color. It is used for landscaping areas in the northern regions.
Willow can rightfully be called a delightful and even fabulous tree. No wonder it has inspired writers, poets and artists for centuries.
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Garden decoration
Among the many varieties of this wonderful plant, dwarf willow is very popular among gardeners. With different lengths, colors of leaves and inflorescences, these miniature shrubs can decorate any area.
By planting such beautiful shrubs in your garden, you can create an exquisite composition. They go well with other plants, standing out for their extraordinary beauty of narrow leaves and thin stems.
The height of the shrubs reaches one meter; there are specimens as small as 10 cm, which can be grown in a flower pot on a windowsill.
Landing rules
In order for the weeping willow to take root well and feel comfortable, certain agrotechnical rules must be followed when planting it.
Optimal time for planting
The best time to plant seedlings with an open root system is early spring. After the end of frost, they are planted in open ground until the juices begin to flow. You can also carry out the procedure in late autumn, just before wintering. However, varieties that are less resistant to frost may not survive the winter well. Experienced gardeners recommend covering young plants with spruce branches and mulching the soil with fallen leaves or pine needles.
Seedlings with a closed root system can be planted any time from March to November.
Determination of site and soil
Any location that is not in full shade is suitable for growing weeping willow. It does not grow in low light conditions. The plant is best planted in the sunny part of the summer cottage, where groundwater is close to the surface.
The tree does not like dry soil, so it needs to be planted in light sandy or loamy soil. For better willow growth, it can be mixed with humus or compost.
Willow grows well in sun-exposed areas of the garden
Selection of seedlings
A healthy, beautiful tree can only be grown from good, properly prepared seedlings:
- they must be winter stem;
- well lignified;
- 1–2 years old;
- prepared before the juices begin to flow or before the first frost.
Before planting, the seedlings are placed in a container with sand or water, and as soon as the buds bloom, they are transplanted into open ground.
General landing rules
First of all, you need to dig a planting hole 40 cm deep. For a tree, its diameter should be 60 cm, for a bush – 50 cm. Light soil does not need to be drained, but heavy loams need a drainage layer (20–30 cm), consisting of river sand or small stone. The soil mixture should contain soil, compost and peat. Gardeners also recommend adding 200 g of azofoska to it, mixing well and filling one third of the hole.
Having placed the seedling, add the remaining soil. At the same time, it is compacted so that a circle near the trunk is formed, into which water will subsequently be poured. For the first watering, 20 liters are needed for each plant. Young trees that are too tall are fixed to a support peg to protect them from the wind.
Rules for planting weeping goat willow
Capricious and gentle
A straight bush with many branches and ovate leaves covered with silvery hairs, which takes root poorly and grows slowly, is called “Swiss”.
Prevention of diseases is carried out in spring and autumn with a solution of copper sulfate. In winter, to prevent the plant from freezing, cover it with burlap or other material in several layers.
The “Winding” willow appears with the same whims. The plant is afraid of frost and even drafts.
But its spiraling branches and wavy leaves of bright green color make lovers of exquisite designs coddle this beauty. It’s hard to refuse such a highlight on the site.
Fluffy inflorescences
Willow "Arctic" grows in harsh climates. But, despite this, it pleases with long-lasting flowering.
The flowers of this plant are extremely beautiful: at the initial stage they are pink in color, gradually changing it to yellow. The inflorescences are quite large.
Long branches spread across the ground. Those branches that are located in the center of the bush, on the contrary, rise to a meter in height. The shoots of the plant have a beautiful bright yellow color.
Use in folk medicine
It is difficult to find a tree similar to willow that would have such a wide distribution and varied uses.
Trees of all types have beneficial substances in their composition. Goats, brittle willows and some other representatives are especially rich in them.
Medicines based on the bark help with inflammation, relieve pain, increase the ability of blood to clot, and reduce urine production.
After clinical studies, the effectiveness of willow in the treatment of hypertension was established.
People suffering from tachycardia and neurosis can take a decoction or tincture based on the inflorescences.
Since ancient times, it was believed that willow has magical properties. What tree is used in Christian rituals? Willow, belonging to the willow family. Previously, it was credited with strong healing properties. It was believed that by swallowing a kidney one could get rid of fever and other diseases.
Decoctions are used externally or drunk, depending on the problem. For example, they are used to rinse the mouth during inflammation and take baths when there is heavy sweating.
Notes
- For the convention of indicating the class of dicotyledons as a superior taxon for the group of plants described in this article, see the section “APG Systems” of the article “Dicotyledons”.
- ↑ 1 2
Russian name of the taxon - according to the following edition:
Shreter A.I., Panasyuk V.A.
Dictionary of plant names = Dictionary of Plant Names / Int. union biol. Sciences, National Faculty of Biologists of Russia, Vseros. Institute of Lec. and aromatic plants Ros. agricultural academies; Ed. prof. V. A. Bykova. - Königstein/Taunus (Germany): Keltz Scientific Books, 1999. - P. 669. - 1033 p. — ISBN 3-87429-398-X. - ↑ 1234
Rabotnov, 1951, p. 12. - Sergei Antonovich Shostakovsky. Systematics of higher plants. 1971, p. 131
- Sokolov S. Ya.
Genus 2. Willow - Salix L. // Trees and shrubs of the USSR. Wild, cultivated and promising for introduction. / Ed. volumes S. Ya. Sokolov. - M.-L.: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1951. - T. II. Angiosperms. - P. 167. - 612 p. — 2500 copies. - Komarov V. L.
Genus 356 Willow - Salix L. // Flora of the USSR: in 30 volumes / ch. ed. V. L. Komarov. - M.; L.: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1936. - T. 5 / ed. volumes V. L. Komarov. — P. 196-197. - 762, XXVI p. — 5175 copies. - Willow of Babylon
(English): information on the GRIN website. (Date accessed: October 10, 2010) - Pavlov N.V.
Plant raw materials of Kazakhstan. - USSR Academy of Sciences, 1947. - Babylonian willow
: information on the website “Encyclopedia of Ornamental Garden Plants” (Access date: October 10, 2010)
Beneficial features
The leaves and bark of white willow contain tannins, flavonoids, ascorbic acid, and organic acids. Due to this, the tree has the following properties:
- astringents;
- antiseptic;
- painkillers;
- antibacterial;
- antipyretic;
- hemostatic.
In addition to the leaves and bark, the catkins of the male tree also have beneficial properties. They have a choleretic, diuretic, and anthelmintic effect.
It is worth noting that infusion and decoction of the bark helps remove uric acid from the body. It is recommended to drink such remedies for gout and arthritis. The decoction is also used to rinse the mouth during inflammatory processes. In addition, many scientists believe that white willow has a calming effect on people and also promotes relaxation. Due to its high tannin content, the plant is used to treat sunburn.
The many faces of migrants
Numerous varieties of this beautiful, delicate and sophisticated plant are found everywhere. They can be found in Europe and Asia, America and even in hot countries.
With shiny and matte, long and round leaves, with modest or luxurious inflorescences, giant or dwarf size, willows decorate parks and the shores of reservoirs, with their participation designers create compositions for exhibitions and competitions.
Ivnyak is...
In this case, one should not draw analogies, for example, with a spruce forest. If a spruce forest is called a traditional spruce forest, then a willow forest is a low-growing thicket of the plant being studied. This word is also used to call willow twigs (this definition is given by T.F. Efremova’s dictionary).
In biology you can also find the term being studied. In this context, willow is a type of mushroom from the strophariaceae family (golden scale). In addition, there are several geographical place names with this word. For example, the village of Ivnyak in the Vologda region or the village of Ivnyaki from the Yaroslavl region.
Willow is, by and large, a weed. Once in moist soil, its seeds germinate as quickly and productively as possible. This is how willows are formed - dense thickets of willow. Most often they can be found on the banks of streams, as well as in swampy areas. Such places, as a rule, attract huge swarms of mosquitoes and other moisture-loving insects.
