Golden weeping willow
Saule pleureur doré
Salix × sepulcralis SimonkaiSalicaceae (willow family)Origin: Hybrid from Europe (cultivated variety)
Origin: Hybrid from Europe (cultivated variety)
Golden weeping willow is a medium-sized tree with long pendulous branches.
Read more about Tree, Bark, Twigs
Golden weeping willow is a medium-sized tree to 12 m (40') with long pendulous branches.
Branches arch and droop to the ground with slender golden branchlets
Bark is brown, with ridges and furrows.
Twigs are golden. Buds are flattened with a rounded tip and a single bud scale.
Leaves are lance-shaped, 4-10 cm (1.6"-4") long, with long tapering tips.
Leaves have an alternate arrangement on the branch.
In the fall, leaves turn yellow.
Fruits are green capsules, clustered in catkins, that open to release the seeds, each of which is equipped with a tuft of hair for dispersal on the wind.
Cultivar origin
Golden weeping willow is a hybrid between white willow (Salix alba), which is native to Europe and Asia, and Babylon weeping willow (Salix babylonica), which is native to China, both of which have been cultivated for centuries. The first golden weeping willow hybrid dates to 1888.
Derivation of names
The genus name Salix is the classical Latin name for the willows. The hybrid name sepulcralis means of sepulchres, or tombs, and, like the common name, refers to the trees' weeping habit. The letter x in the Latin name indicates that golden weeping willow is a hybrid species.
Golden weeping willow's place in Toronto's urban forest
Golden weeping willow is a distinctive tree because of its graceful form. It is frequently planted in parks along shorelines.
Landscape value and potential for home planting
Because of its size, golden weeping willow requires diligent pruning if grown in a small site. The brittle branches break easily in high winds. It grows best in moist or wet soils.
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