Our most faithful readers know about the little swamp which we maintain at weedom for the spring peepers and other frogs that presage the coming of Spring. It also feeds some weedy willow trees, which we chop regularly and vigorously so that they don’t drain the swamp before the frogs have accomplished their reproductive mission. Removing the trees entirely is probably not possible without large equipment, and we don’t want to disturb the frog jungle too much. Besides, willows are incredibly useful as medicine so it’s good to keep them around. Most of the hundreds of willow species have some useful medicinal compounds to offer. Some say there are 300-500 species, but they’re only guessing. Willows are able to hybridize, and the cultivars can vary hugely in appearance. Our willow weeds, certainly don’t look like trees because of what we do to them, but would be 50-70 feet tall and tangling our electric lines if we allowed them to take their natural shape. Over the years, many of these willows had attained full maturity along the main creek that travels through the farm.
There was a neighbor hereabouts who abused their horses, did not feed them. The horses ate all the bark off the willow trees; I thought the willows were done for. Several years later, you'd never know they had been chewed down so brutally. Willows have almost magical regenerative powers!
There was a neighbor hereabouts who abused their horses, did not feed them. The horses ate all the bark off the willow trees; I thought the willows were done for. Several years later, you'd never know they had been chewed down so brutally. Willows have almost magical regenerative powers!
I didn’t realize they hybridized like that.