Willow is very common in central Russia. This woody plant is distinguished by a rather unusual crown structure and a matte silver color of its leaves. From our article you will find out where it grows, what types of trees exist, and also what willow is.
Meet Willow
Willow is an unpretentious and moisture-loving tree from the willow family. It is found in forests as a minor breed, but most often grows in humid places - on the banks of rivers and reservoirs. The range of the tree covers the wide expanses of the continents of the Northern Hemisphere, going beyond the Arctic Circle. Some types of willow grow in tropical and subtropical areas.
Usually, the height of an adult tree does not exceed 15 meters. Although some species grow up to 30-40 meters in height. The crown of the willow is wide and beautiful. The branches are thin, flexible; leaves are narrow and elongated. From the outside, the leaves of the tree, as a rule, have a more saturated color. Willows bloom in different ways, depending on the specific species. The flowers are collected in elongated inflorescences - "earrings".
Willow is an excellent honey plant, its numerous fluffy flowers are extremelyrich in nectar. Since ancient times, all kinds of furniture, baskets and other products have been woven from flexible tree shoots. Willow bark is actively used in folk medicine. It was from this tree that salicylic acid was first obtained, hence its name (willow in Latin - Salix).
Types of willows
In total, there are at least 500 species of willows on the planet. Among them there are both full-fledged trees and shrub forms. In the polar regions and in the highlands, the so-called "dwarf willows" are common, the height of which does not exceed 2-3 centimeters.
Four types of willows are most represented on the territory of Russia:
- White (or silver).
- Weeping.
- Goat.
- Brittle.
In Russia, other names of this tree are common: willow, willow, vine, willow, sheluga and others.
Willwood is…
In this case, it is not necessary to draw analogies, for example, with a spruce forest. If a spruce forest is called a traditional spruce forest, then a willow forest is a stunted thicket of the studied plant. Willow twigs are also called this word (this definition is given by the dictionary of T. F. Efremova).
In biology, you can also meet the studied term. In this context, willow is one of the species of mushrooms from the strophariaceae family (golden flake). In addition, there are several geographical place names with this word. For example, the village of Ivnyak in the Vologda region or the village of Ivnyaki in the Yaroslavl region.
Willow is basically a weed. Once in moist soil, its seedssprout as quickly and productively as possible. This is how willows are formed - dense willow thickets. Most often they can be found on the banks of streams, as well as in swampy areas. Such places tend to attract huge flocks of mosquitoes and other moisture-loving insects.
