What tree is more iconic than the weeping willow in the South? Although the South isn’t the birthplace of the Willow, more than 80 varieties grow in the U.S. and over 400 in the world.
Did you know Willow is native to China?
That explains the mystical and missing link relative to her physique and oriental-like elegance. Some say the weeping willow’s elongated leaves resemble tears of Kuan Yin, the goddess of compassion.
Rain or shine, her branches naturally weep into an arch, and she weeps for suffering humanity. And when it rains, tears fall from the slender leaves.
The weeping willow tree was introduced to Europe in the early 1800s and traveled to North America during colonization.
Now a lady of the South, we adore her. She gracefully bows in her long full skirt of elegant leaves to those who would seek her shady comfort in the heat of the day. Like Southerners, she is known for her charm and generosity.
Her weep creates an arch that causes the canopy to graze the ground. Rabbits and deer feed on her luscious greenery. And she lovingly cradles the nests of birds. Her scaly trunk speaks nothing to her tenderness and warmth.
Why do weeping willows grow around bodies of water: rivers and lakes where it is difficult for other trees to survive?
Trees either get too much or not enough water, depending on the season. Weeping willows mysteriously and aggressively seek water. They love to keep their roaming toes or roots in water. They drink deeply from the land and weep deeper.
The Willow is a deciduous tree shedding its leaves each winter. Besides the seeds, it’s amazing that willows take root from cuttings or broken branches and twigs lying on the ground. The fruit of the weeping willow is brown capsules filled with seeds.
The notoriety or significance of the Willow varies in different parts of the world. Willow is a symbol of immortality and rebirth in China but grief in other parts of the world.
The weeping willow is a special lady in the South.