The Weeping Willow is a beautiful tree to use for large yards and has a number of interesting aspects. You might be surprised to learn it is a medicinal tree as well.
The weeping willow tree is a member of a family of trees and scrubs that contains over three hundred and fifty different varieties. The varieties of willows have many widely different characteristics, but they are all remarkably alike in many ways. Most of them occur in moist soil in cooler climates and mostly in the Northern Hemisphere. Willows are remarkably fertile trees and easily cross fertilize between species. These occur naturally or as the result of deliberate cultivation.
The weeping willow is what is called a cultivar. This is a type of tree sharing similar characteristics that results from the cross fertilization of two species. In the case of the weeping willow, the original “parents” were the Chinese Peking Willow and the European White Willow. The branches of the weeping willows hang downward creating a thick canopy and giving this ornamental tree its name.
Weeping willows, like most willows will easily take root from cuttings or fallen branches. There is a story that the English poet, Alexander Pope, once begged a twig from a packet of twigs that were sent to a certain Lady Suffolk from Spain. He planted this twig and it grew and thrived. The legend claims that every weeping willow in England today is a direct descendant of this original twig.
Weeping willows are often planed along waterways because their thick roots form a protective barrier against erosion from the activity of the water. However, these beautiful and popular trees are not always welcome World travelers. Weeping willows were extensively planted along Australia’s waterways, but were recently declared an “invasive weed” by Australian authorities who are attempting to replace them with native species.
The most interesting thing about the weeping willow and its willow family cousins is it medicinal history. Cultures as far back as Mesopotamian recognized and wrote about the medical uses of willow bark. Early American cultures also discovered that willow bark had medical uses and the most common one was in the relief of pain and inflammation. In the 18th Century, the active extract in the bark was isolated. It was a substance called salicin. When salicin is in solution in water it is very acidic. This acid is called salicylic acid. Just before the start of the 20th Century, a chemist created a substance based on salicylic acid that was not as tough on the stomach. This substance was ultimately named aspirin.
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Source: www.articlesbase.com
