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Weeping Willow Growth Rates Compare with Salix babylonica Re-rooted Branch Cuttings

Peter R Greene

Remarkable growth rates of Weeping Willow trees (Salix babylonicae) are reported, and their unique ability to regenerate from branch cuttings by re-rooting in the ground. This unusual type of reproduction is an active area of research, particularly with regard to other species, which are resistant to this technique. Babylonica growth rates are quantified in terms of tree height, base trunk diameter, leaf stem length, and root growth rate (N= 3). The old tree roots and new branch roots grow at the same rate, 6 cm/yr. Leaf stems from the full size tree and leaf stems from the rooted branch also grow at the same rate, 4 m/yr. In other words, like father like son. The success probability for “branch re-rooting” is low, only 25%, N= 8, a problem reported by others, which may depend on branch diameters in the range 0.6 cm to 1.6 cm.