Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus Salix, comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate See more

Almost all willows take root very readily from cuttings or where broken branches lie on the ground (an exception is the peachleaf willow (Salix amygdaloides)). One famous example of such growth from cuttings involves the poet Alexander Pope, who begged a twig … See more

The willow is one of the four species associated with the Jewish festival of Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles, cited in Leviticus 23:40. Willow branches are used during the … See more

The scientific use of the genus name Salix originates with Carl Linnaeus in 1753. The modern concept of types did not exist at the time, so types for Linnaeus' genera had to be designated later. The type species, i.e., the species on which the genus name is … See more

Willows are shade tolerant and typically short-lived. They require disturbances to outcompete conifers or large deciduous species. The seeds are tiny, plentiful, carried by wind and … See more

The Quinault people made the bark into a twine which sometimes served as harpoon line. The wood was used by some Native American tribes to start fires by friction, the shoots to See more

• Aravah, the Hebrew name of the willow, for its ritual use during the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles
• Pollarding, technique of severe pruning or knotting of trees
• Sail, Ogham letter meaning "willow" See more