Salix babylonica ‘Pendula’

Salix babylonica ‘Pendula’ (07/04/2012, London)

Position: Full sun

Flowering period: Late spring

Soil: Moist, well drained

Eventual Height: 15m

Eventual Spread: 12m

Hardiness: 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b

Family: Salicaceae

Salix babylonica Leaf A-Bombed Tree (11/04/2015, Hiroshima, Japan)

Salix babylonica ‘Pendula’ is a fast growing, short lived medium/ large deciduous tree with a weeping habit. Its light green leaves are lance shaped with finely serrated margins, alternate and spirally arranged, up to 16cm long and 2cm broad. Its leaves turn yellow in autumn. Its olive/ green twigs and branches hang, giving the tree is weeping, pendulous habit. Its bark is grayish brown and irregularly furrowed. The flowers are dioecious, producing male and female catkins on separate trees. Its white male catkins are fuzzy in appearance and up to 5cm long. Its fruit is a 1cm light brown capsule which, contains many fine, cottony seeds.

Salix babylonica A-Bombed Tree (11/04/2015, Hiroshima, Japan)

Salix babylonica ‘Pendula’, commonly known as Weeping Willow or Peking Willow, is native to north China. It has been cultivated for thousands of years in Asia, being traded along the Silk Road to Europe. It was introduced into the UK around 1730. The A-Bombed tree shown in this post survived the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and was located 370m from from the hypocentre.

Salix babylonica ‘Pendula’ Flower (07/04/2012, London)

The etymological root of the binomial name Salix is derived from the old Latin name for the willow tree and is possibly derived from the old Celtic ‘sal’ meaning near and ‘lis’ meaning water. Babylonica is from a misunderstanding by Linnaeus that this Willow was the tree described in Psalm 137 in the bible.

The landscape architect may find Salix babylonica ‘Pendula’ useful as a specimen tree particularly in wet locations. They are classically planted next to lakes or water bodies, where their form can be reflected. Care should be taken when locating this tree as its roots may disturb foundations and drainage runs. It will tolerate maritime conditions.

Ecologically, Salix babylonica ‘Pendula’ attracts insects, including bees, who pollinate this tree.

Salix babylonica Bark A-Bombed Tree (11/04/2015, Hiroshima, Japan)

The Royal Horticultural Society has given the variety Salix babylonica var . pekinensis ‘Tortuosa’ their prestigious Award of Garden Merit in 1993.

Salix babylonica ‘Pendula’ prefers moist, fertile, deep, well-drained soils. It tolerates most pH of soil. It will tolerate periods of severe flooding and dislikes periods of extended drought.

Salix babylonica ‘Pendula’ requires little maintenance.