White Willow

The white willow has an interesting characteristic. Of about 70 of the North American species of the white willow, about 30 grow as trees measuring up to 80 feet, in some other places across the globe they may only grow up to five or seven feet and remain just as shrubs. The white willow bears alternating, lanceolate, pockmarked leaves that are ashy-gray in color and glossy on either side. Another interesting aspect of the white willow is the fact that different trees of the species bear male and female flowers that emerge in catkins on leafy stems simultaneously with the leaves.