They’re one of the most recognisable trees, even if you’re not really a tree person – but how much do you actually know about willows? Worry not – in the (extremely unlikely) event a supervillain kidnaps you and won’t let you go until you can list fifteen facts about willow trees, you’re going to be prepared! Get ready to be amazed – you won’t be weeping at the end! And don’t forget to try some of our other fantastic facts about the natural world – learn all about yew trees, or get ready to meet the strangest plants in the world!

1. There are 350 species

When we say “willow”, we’re usually referring to weeping willows, and so most of these facts specifically refer to the weeping willow. But there are a LOT of species of willow – around 350, in fact! “Willow” is used for most of them, but some species are also called “sallow” or “osier”. Sallows have broad leaves, while osiers have narrow ones. Willows are deciduous trees, which means they shed their leaves seasonally (the opposite of evergreens which are… well, take a guess!).

2. Do you think they look sad?

It’s pretty obvious how the weeping willow got its nickname! Weeping willows are recognisable because of that iconic umbrella shape – they always look like they’re crying. But not all willows “weep” – in fact, some species are upstanding! Most species do have long, silvery leaves and wispy branches, though.

3. They’re surprisingly short

Well, compared to other trees – certainly not compared to a person! While oak trees can grow past 100 feet, and the mighty redwood tree can hit 300 feet, weeping willows usually grow between 45 and 70 feet. They’re usually very wide, though, sometimes as wide as they are tall! Some other species of willow are particularly tiny – the dwarf willow rarely gets higher than 6cm!

4. They’re very fast growing

Despite not getting too tall, willows grow very quickly, at a rate of about 3-4 feet per year. Because they grow so quickly, scientists have experimented with using willows to create biofuel, an alternative to fossil fuels.  

5. They’re like sponges

Weeping willows need a lot of water to grow – they’re VERY thirsty! They’re often found next to rivers and ponds, and they can be useful if you have a garden prone to flooding. Lots of water will help your already fast-growing willow tree grow even faster, but they also need plenty of sun, too.

6. They don’t live very long

Unlike some other trees like oaks and redwoods, willows have fairly short lifespans. They live about 30 years on average, though some well-looked after willows have lived as long as 50 years.

7. They can be used in medicine

Willows aren’t just pretty to look at – they’re also surprisingly useful! Willow bark has been used medicinally for thousands of years. There are references to it in texts from Ancient Greece, Rome, Assyria, Sumer, Mesopotamia and Egypt, and it is known to have been used by Native Americans too. Willow bark was used for several things, but it seems to be especially effective as a painkiller. It actually contains a precursor to aspirin, which is a drug popularly used to treat headaches!

8. You CAN eat them…

But you probably wouldn’t want to! Most parts of a willow are perfectly edible. Catkins (the clustering flowers that hang from willow branches) were sometimes eaten by the poor, cooked to make a mash. The leaves, buds and inner bark can also be eaten. However, they have a very bitter taste and are usually only eaten as a last resort.

9. They came from China

Willows can be seen all over the world, but they originated in China. They probably travelled to Europe via the Silk Road, a an enormous Eurasian trading route. Willows have an important place in Chinese folklore, where they’re associated with death. During the annual Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day in English), willow branches are used to sweep the graves of ancestors, and they’re also placed on doors and gates to ward away evil spirits.

10. In Japanese folklore, they’re associated with ghosts

Willow trees are a part of Japanese culture, too. They also have an association with death, though theirs is a little spookier. Willow trees are thought to be where ghosts appear, and they show up in a lot of folk stories. One story is about Yanagi babā (“willow hag”), a yōkai (supernatural being) in the form of an ugly old woman. She’s said to appear under willow trees and beckon men to her. Stories vary about what actually happens to the men, but it’s never good!

11. They’re important in religion

Several major religions feature willows and willow branches as an important part of their mythology. In Buddhism willows are symbolic of Guanyin, the bodhisattva (enlightened teacher) of compassion. In Judaism they’re associated with the festival of Sukkot and used in the synagogue services on the seventh day of the festival. Orthodox Christian churches also sometimes use willow branches instead of palm leaves on Palm Sunday.

12. In English folklore, they’re kind of scary

Willows also appear in English folklore, and they’re pretty sinister here, too! They’re often associated with grief and mourning (for obvious reasons), but there is also at least one account from Somerset folklore of willows uprooting themselves to follow unwary travellers, muttering to themselves as they go!  

13. There shouldn’t be one in Pocahontas

Disney’s 1995 film Pocahontas has been criticised for being historically inaccurate in a lot of ways, but here’s one you probably hadn’t though about! In the film Pocahontas gets advice from Grandmother Willow, a wise weeping willow tree. But the film is set in 1607, long before the weeping willow was introduced to the USA! She also says she’s about 400 years old, which is a VERY long lifespan for a willow tree. There is an Osage Nation story about a man seeking advice from a willow tree he calls “grandfather”, which might be where Disney got the idea.

14. Cricket bats are made from willow wood!

The great British pastime of cricket would be nowhere without willow trees! Willow wood is very good for making bats and stumps, because its flexibility means it can absorb shock without splintering. Willow trees are diminishing in the UK, and in other places where willows are grown for the purpose of cricket-bat making like India and Australia, so alternatives to willow bats are sometimes used.

15. Willow wood was very useful in wartime

Willow branches are springy and flexible, so they’re very useful for a number of things – wicker, for one! They’ve traditionally been used in basket weaving, and during both world wars these lightweight baskets were used for parachutes, hot air balloons and carrier pigeon baskets! In fact, willow baskets were so important in WWI that in 1923 a National Willow Collection was established (complete with a Willow Officer) at the Government Research Station at Long Ashton, Bristol. The Collection still exists today, though it’s moved to Hertfordshire. The team continue to research ways to use willow to make life easier!