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{{SPlantbox
|familia=Salicaceae
|genus=Salix
| color = lightgreen
|species=alba
| name = White Willow
|common_name=White Willow
| status = secure
|habit=tree
| image = Salix alba leaves.jpg
|habit_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
| image_width = 250px
|Max ht box=80
| image_caption = White Willow foliage; note white undersides of leaves
|Max ht metric=ft
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
|height_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
|Max wd box=30
| classis = [[Dicotyledon|Magnoliopsida]]
|Max wd metric=ft
| ordo = [[Malpighiales]]
|width_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
| familia = [[Salicaceae]]
|lifespan=perennial
| genus = ''[[Willow|Salix]]''
|life_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
| species = '''''S. alba'''''
|exposure=sun
| binomial = ''Salix alba''
|sun_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
|water=wet, moist
|water_ref=Sunset National Garden Book
|features=flowers
|flower_season=early spring, mid spring, late spring
|flower_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
|Temp Metric=°F
|min_zone=2
|usda_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
|max_zone=10
|sunset_zones=1-24, 30-45
|image=Salix alba leaves.jpg
|image_width=240
|image_caption=White Willow foliage; note white undersides of leaves
}}
}}
'''''Salix alba''''' ('''White Willow''') is a species of [[willow]] native to [[Europe]] and western and central [[Asia]].<ref name=rdm>Meikle, R. D. (1984). ''Willows and Poplars of Great Britain and Ireland''. BSBI Handbook No. 4. ISBN 0-901158-07-0.</ref><ref name=rushforth>Rushforth, K. (1999). ''Trees of Britain and Europe''. Collins ISBN 0-00-220013-9.</ref> The name derives from the white tone to the undersides of the leaves.
It is a medium-sized to large [[deciduous]] [[tree]] growing up to 10–30 m tall, with a trunk up to 1 m diameter and an irregular, often leaning crown. The [[bark]] is grey-brown, deeply fissured in older trees. The shoots in the typical species are grey-brown to green-brown. The [[leaf|leaves]] are paler than most other willows, due to a covering of very fine silky white hairs, particularly on the underside; they are 5–10 cm long and 0.5–1.5 cm wide. The [[flower]]s are produced in [[catkin]]s in early spring, and pollinated by [[insect]]s. It is [[plant sexuality|dioecious]], with male and female catkins on separate trees; the male catkins are 4–5 cm long, the female catkins 3–4 cm long at pollination, lengthening as the fruit matures. When mature in mid summer, the female catkins comprise numerous small (4 mm) [[capsule (fruit)|capsules]] each containing numerous minute [[seed]]s embedded in white down which aids wind dispersal.<ref name=rdm/><ref name=rushforth/><ref name=afm>Mitchell, A. F. (1974). ''A Field Guide to the Trees of Britain and Northern Europe''. Collins ISBN 0-00-212035-6</ref>
==Cultivars and hybrids==
{{Inc|
A number of [[cultivar]]s and [[hybrid]]s of White Willow have been selected for [[forestry]] and [[horticulture]] use:
Salix alba, Linn. White Willow. Large tree, with short and thick trunk, not excurrent in habit: branches yellowish brown: lvs. ashy gray and silky throughout, giving a white appearance to the whole tree, 2-4 in. long, elliptical. —Heretofore associated with the next species, from which it differs in color of twigs and vesture and color of lvs., as also in its general habit. It is only occasionally seen in Amer. Var. splendens, Anderss. (S. alba var. argentea, Wimm. S. regalis, Hort.). Lvs. densely silky on both sides, nearly silvery-white while young. The forms of this species not easily distinguishable from one another, can be readily distinguished from many other species. Var. calva, G. F. W. Mey. (S. alba var. caerulea, Smith). Of pyramidal habit: lvs. larger, at maturity glabrescent, more bluish green above and more glaucous below.
*The '''Cricket-bat Willow''' (''Salix alba'' 'Caerulea'), often referred to simply as '''English Willow''', is grown as a specialist [[timber]] crop in [[Great Britain|Britain]], mainly for the production of [[cricket]] [[cricket bat|bats]], but also for other uses where a tough, lightweight [[wood]] that does not splinter easily, is required. It is distinguished mainly by its growth form, very fast growing with a single straight stem, and also by its slightly larger leaves (10-11 cm long, 1.5-2 cm wide) with a more blue-green colour. Its origin is unknown, but it may be a hybrid between White Willow and [[Crack Willow]] (''Salix fragilis'').
}}
*The '''Weeping Willow''' (''Salix × sepulcralis'' 'Chrysocoma', [[synonymy|syn.]] ''Salix'' 'Tristis') is a hybrid between White Willow and [[Peking Willow]] (''Salix babylonica'', syn. ''Salix matsudana'').
==Cultivation==
{{edit-cult}}<!--- Type cultivation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
*The '''White Willow''' is a fast-growing, but short-lived, cultivar being susceptible to several [[disease]]s, including watermark disease caused by the [[bacterium]] ''[[Brenneria salicis|Erwinia salicis]]'' (named because of the characteristic 'watermark' staining in the [[wood]]) and willow [[anthracnose]], caused by the [[fungus]] ''Marssonina salicicola''. These diseases can be a serious problem on trees grown for timber or ornament.
*The '''[[Crack Willow]]''' (''Salix fragilis'') is a medium-sized to large [[deciduous]] tree, which grows rapidly and can be up to 27 m tall. Its preferred habitat is beside rivers. The leaves are bright green, 9-15 cm long and 1.5-3 cm wide, with a finely serrated margin.
===Propagation===
{{edit-prop}}<!--- Type propagation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
===Pests and diseases===
White Willows are fast-growing, but relatively short-lived, being susceptible to several [[disease]]s, including [[Brenneria salicis|watermark disease]] caused by the [[bacterium]] ''[[Brenneria salicis]]'' (named because of the characteristic 'watermark' staining in the [[wood]]; syn. ''Erwinia salicis'') and willow [[anthracnose]], caused by the [[fungus]] ''Marssonina salicicola''. These diseases can be a serious problem on trees grown for timber or ornament.
==Varieties==
A number of [[cultivar]]s and [[hybrid (biology)|hybrid]]s have been selected for [[forestry]] and [[horticulture|horticultural]] use:<ref name=rdm/><ref name=rushforth/>
*''Salix alba'' 'Caerulea' ('''Cricket-bat Willow'''; syn. ''Salix alba'' var. ''caerulea'' (Sm.) Sm.; ''Salix caerulea'' Sm.) is grown as a specialist [[timber]] crop in [[Great Britain|Britain]], mainly for the production of [[cricket bat]]s, and for other uses where a tough, lightweight [[wood]] that does not splinter easily, is required. It is distinguished mainly by its growth form, very fast growing with a single straight stem, and also by its slightly larger leaves (10–11 cm long, 1.5–2 cm wide) with a more blue-green colour. Its origin is unknown; it may be a hybrid between White Willow and Crack Willow, but this is not confirmed.<ref name=rdm/>
*''Salix alba'' 'Vitellina' ('''Golden Willow'''; syn. ''Salix alba'' var. ''vitellina'' (L.) Stokes) is a cultivar grown in gardens for its shoots, which are golden yellow for 1–2 years before turning brown. It is particularly decorative in winter; the best effect is achieved by [[coppicing]] it every 2–3 years to stimulate the production of longer young shoots with better colour. Other similar cultivars include 'Britzensis', 'Cardinal', and 'Chermesina', selected for even brighter orange-red shoots.
*''Salix alba'' 'Sericea' ('''Silver Willow''') is a cultivar where the white hairs on the leaves are particularly dense, giving it more strongly silvery-white foliage.
*''Salix alba'' 'Vitellina-Tristis' ('''Golden Weeping Willow''', synonym 'Tristis') is a weeping cultivar with yellow branches that become reddish-orange in winter. It is now rare in cultivation and has been largely replaced by [[Salix Sepulcralis Group 'Chrysocoma']]. It is however still the best choise in very cold parts of the world like Canada, the Northern U.S.A. and Russia.
*The '''Golden Hybrid Weeping Willow''' ([[Salix Sepulcralis Group 'Chrysocoma']]) is a hybrid between White Willow and Peking Willow ''[[Salix babylonica]]''.
It readily forms natural [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrids]] with Crack Willow ''[[Salix fragilis]]'', the hybrid being named ''[[Salix × rubens]]'' Schrank.<ref name=rdm/>
[[Hippocrates]] wrote in the 5th century BC about a bitter powder extracted from willow bark that could ease aches and pains and reduce fevers.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} This remedy is also mentioned in texts from [[ancient Egypt]], [[Sumer]], and [[Assyria]].{{Fact|date=February 2007}} The Reverend Edward Stone, a vicar from Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire England, noted in 1763 that the bark of the willow was effective in reducing a fever.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
==Gallery==
<gallery>
<gallery>
Image:Salix alba 020.jpg|Tree, showing whitish foliage compared to surrounding trees
Image:Illustration_Salix_alba0.jpg|White Willow illustration
Image:Illustration_Salix_alba0.jpg|White Willow illustration
Image:Salix alba(02).jpg|Catkins
Image:Salix alba(02).jpg|Catkins
Image:Salix alba(01).jpg
Image:Salix alba(01).jpg
Image:Salix Alba.jpg|White Willows in winter time
Image:Salix Alba.jpg|White Willows in winter time
File:Salix alba 011.jpg
File:Salix alba bark.jpg
</gallery>
</gallery>
==References==
<br>
*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
<!--- xxxxx *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381 -->
<!--- xxxxx *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432 -->
<!--- xxxxx *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608 -->
==References==
==External links==
*{{wplink}}
{{reflist}}
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