Genus Salix, L. (Willow)

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge sharp-toothed, with the teeth somewhat thickened. Outline - narrow lance-shape. Apex - taper-pointed; in the young leaves often broad and rounded. Base - pointed. Leaf - small (two to three and a half inches long; about one half to five eighths of an inch wide); surface with white, silky hairs beneath and often above, especially in the young leaves. Branches - brittle at the base, smooth and shining and yellow. Blossoms - in May. Introduced - from Europe, but now found throughout the United States. Common around houses and in low grounds. General Information - Introduced from Europe, but now common around houses and in low grounds. A very large and familiar tree (fifty to eighty feet high), one of the largest of the Willows; low-branching; thick-set, of tough and rapid growth. A stake set in the ground grows readily. The silvery look of the tree (especially in a strong wind) is due to the gloss of its downy leaves. Salix from two Celtic words meaning “near” and “water.” The Blue Willow (var. caerulea S.) is naturalized in Massachusetts.

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