Large White Willow trees

[Oxford patient]

The Cutteslowe Park, Oxford, contains some superb examples of White Willow trees, the largest in the county. See



The branches look like layers of waterfall, and swing with the gentle breeze at this time of the year. It is relatively rare here, but very common in the Far-East.

Cheers,

Oxford patient

[treecreeper]

Surely not Salix alba??

...just spotted the far east bit...obviously there's more than one White Willow

[The Woodman]

Would that be the far east of England?

[davidbr]

Although it's a blurred picture, from the habit & colour of the twigs I'd be fairly confident in saying it was Salix x sepulcralis, Golden Weeping-willow, which is common as a planted tree and sometimes turns up as a relic of cultivation.

It's an attractive tree, but certainly not rare

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by davidbr

Although it's a blurred picture, from the habit & colour of the twigs I'd be fairly confident in saying it was Salix x sepulcralis, Golden Weeping-willow, which is common as a planted tree and sometimes turns up as a relic of cultivation.

It's an attractive tree, but certainly not rare

I'm sure Salix x sepulcralis is correct - there is a problem over the use of the common name Golden Weeping-willow which is also applied to Salix alba 'Tristis'.

CM

[davidbr]

Originally Posted by Cotham Marble

I'm sure Salix x sepulcralis is correct - there is a problem over the use of the common name Golden Weeping-willow which is also applied to Salix alba 'Tristis'.

CM

I think they're the same thing, aren't they?

Willows are a very confused bunch in general, especially when it comes to hortal hybrids. S. x sepulcralis seems the accepted name these days for the Golden Weeping willows that are all over the place as planted trees.

[Oxford patient]

Does the description 'white undersides of leaves' help?
BTW, 'Far East' meant far-east Asia.
Cheers,
Oxford patient

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by davidbr

I think they're the same thing, aren't they?

Willows are a very confused bunch in general, especially when it comes to hortal hybrids. S. x sepulcralis seems the accepted name these days for the Golden Weeping willows that are all over the place as planted trees.

Salix x sepulcralis (golden weeping willow) Species Profile from Kew suggests sepulcralis is a cross between Salix alba 'Vitellana' and Salix babylonica .

Tristis is listed by the RHS as an ambiguous name Royal Horticultural Society | RHS Plant Finder > RHS Nursery Finder > Nursery plant list and while commercial sellers are happy with to treat sepulcralis and Tristis as synonymous, though Tristis is suggested in various places as a result of other crosses.

http://joa.isa-arbor.com/request.asp...ID=2230&Type=2 states that sepulcralis should be treated as a genuine babylonica / alba hybrid and not a cultivar. That source also identifies a separate tree - S.alba. var. tristis

Anyway none of these weeping and golden things are as magnificent as a true White Willow, and which does seem to be becoming scarce in the UK.

CM

[hamadryad]

despite the dodgy photo like some of the others i have to say defo to the sepulcralis, not even a tricky one!