Salix babylonica Salix babylonica Salix babylonica (Babylon willow or weeping willow; ) is a species of willow native to dry areas of northern China, but cultivated for millennia elsewhere in Asia, being traded along the Silk Road to southwest Asia and Europe. "Salix babylonica" is a medium- to large-sized deciduous tree, growing up to tall. It grows rapidly, but has a short lifespan, between 40 and 75 years. The shoots are yellowish-brown, with small buds. The leaves are alternate and spirally arranged, narrow, light green, 4–16 cm long and 0.5–2 cm broad, with finely serrate margins and long acuminate tips; they turn
Salix fragilis frequently with the type. It is a smaller shrubby tree, rarely exceeding tall, with completely hairless leaves up to 9 cm long and 2–3 cm broad. According to some botanists, it is a distinct species (treated as "Salix decipiens" Hoffm.), with, in this view, "S. fragilis" then being a hybrid between "S. decipiens" and "S. alba". Some other botanists regard "S. decipiens" as itself being a hybrid between "S. fragilis" and "S. triandra". Little evidence supports either of these suggestions. It readily forms natural hybrids with white willow "S. alba" in Europe and Asia, the hybrid being named "Salix" ×