deciduous trees exist in nature in abundance.Among them willow stands out for its grandeur and silver robes.The word "willow" comes from the "build", "branch" and is associated with alternating vowels and consonants.Similar words (same root) is in Ukrainian, and Lithuanian and Latvian, and even Greek.
Botany
What is willow, according to this science?It is the type species of deciduous trees in the family of willow or willow shrubs of the genus.Willow has a narrow, long enough leaves and flowers collected in the earrings.For example, in the literature: "Next to the gate, the house stood an old willow and silver in the moonlight with their leaves."
According to data cited in the dictionaries, that is the willow, as may be referred to certain types of poplar, aspen, poplar and even.The people sometimes refer to as willow, vine, willow, willow.
white willow or willow
She probably got its name (as an option - silver willow) because of its leaves, which are slightly light silver, swaying in the wind.This is a common tree to the middle belt of Russia.But the range of the species is much wider: Europe, Asia Minor, Iran, Western Siberia.Well I caught willow and Central Asia, and North America.
What willow: where and how to grow?
Tree bred mostly as a cultural, but often runs wild in places of landing.Willow grows along rivers and ponds and other water bodies.Maybe as a cultivated plant to settle down near the houses and along the roads.Willow - tree photophilous, resistant to frost.It is undemanding to the soil in which it grows (but prefer - wetlands).Well it can tolerate the cultivation and urban conditions.Willow silvery durable.Live to a hundred years or more.Propagated by seeds or cuttings (in culture).Fallen branches on the ground can also take root.
Description appearance
Tree height sometimes reaches thirty meters.Crown broad, rounded, often weeping.The trunk is strong, reaching a diameter of three meters (or several trunks branching from the ground).Bark dark gray, bitter taste, with longitudinal cracks.Stems greenish-olive or brown with shades of red, the end of the shoot fluffy, silver color.The lower branches often tend to the ground.After cutting willow may take the form of a bush.
buds, leaves and flowers
Buds willow red-yellow, spicy, silky (length - up to 6 mm).They seem to be pressed to escape.Leaves with acute apex, serrulate, their edges are not wrapped down (length - from five to fifteen centimeters, width - up to three), whitish, with silvery hair from the bottom and from the top - dark green.Autumn leaves long fall and become yellow-bronze color.
flowers are collected in a cylindrical catkins (length - up to five cm).Flowering willow silver (or willow) in April or May.The process takes place simultaneously with the opening of leaves of the tree.Willow seeds ripen in June.
Application and use
- willow wood can be used as ornamental material.Earlier, she made troughs, dishes, shuttles for yarn.From the bark of the willow fibers manufactured ropes and rope.The bars were used for the construction of fences in the villages rarely - as a building material.
- What is the willow as the planting?Salix alba planted arts in the parks and around lakes.Willows growing actively, allowing its use for the early planting of roadside areas.
- willow bark has long been used as a tanning agent for leather and as a dye for a variety of natural fabrics (red-brown).
- willow is also a valuable honey plant early.From her bees collect pollen, nectar and bee glue.Honey, you can get up to 150 kg per 1 hectare.He has excellent taste and is very useful for health.
