The tears willow tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is as imposing as it is graceful . Often sway in gentle winds edging pool and lake as sole surveyors of all that lay before them , willows are magnanimous and fecund growers that have flourish for thousands of year . bestow such a majestic presence to their landscape painting , it is promiscuous to realise how they root on artists and writers and why they are interwoven into the artwork , organized religion and folklore of cultures the world over .
Tree
The deciduous weeping willow tree ( Salix ) develop to heights of 70 understructure and can spread equally as wide . spring up in China , its many subspecies are found across the globe , and it is a hardy grower in the U.S. ( planting zones 2 through 9 ) . With its huge crown canopy and dense drooping arm with elongated leaves , the willow tree offer sweeping sweep of tincture . They are preferred addition to landscapes large enough to arrest their monolithic chassis . right arrangement is imperative as their far - travel ascendant look for water have also been know to bust up havoc on infected systems and foundations .
Uses
In addition to their aesthetic quality , willow have many usance . In ancient times , funeral torches were made of willow tree Sir Henry Joseph Wood . Ancient finish and later Native Americans used willow tree bark for medicinal aim . jaw on the twigs and barque of the willow tree was known to relieve fever , excitement and headaches . Willow barque does stop salicin , a rude chemical similar to that receive in acetylsalicylic acid . Today , willow bark as an herbaceous plant in tea or capsule form is still used to alleviate pain associated with menstrual cramp iron , tendonitis , bursitis and lower back strain . Because willow tree branches are both tractile and inviolable , they are also used to waver baskets and furniture .
Stories
There may be as many stories about the willow as there are places where it took root . In ancient Babylon , the willow tree was negatively associate with the death of Alexander the Great , when its boughs were said to have swept Alexander ’s crown from his read/write head as he passed it by . While this bit of foreshadowing may have fit well with Alexander ’s later demise , myths colligate with the willow tree more generally concentrated on its prolific development rate and its drooping , almost visually sad appearance .
Ancient Greek Mythology
One tarradiddle Tell of untried Phaeton , son of Apollo , who is told by his mother the true identity element of his father . In seeking verification , Phaeton perish to Apollo and asks if the god is indeed his father . To prove himself , Apollo agrees to grant Phaeton one wish . His compliments , to ride his founding father ’s chariot across the sky , prove deadly to the male child when he can not control the vehicle . While Apollo has protected his son from the heat and flames of the vehicle , the earth is not so well protected . He scorches the earth as he come near too closely and threatens all life upon it . To save the earth , Zeus strike down Phaeton with a bolt . The boy is killed and his sisters weep so at his going that their rip harden to amber . Eventually , they are reverse into poplar trees and become frozen along the river Eridanus . It is this rock poplar that becomes know as the tears willow .
Japanese Folklore
" Green Willow " and " Willow Wife " are two tarradiddle in Japanese literature that tell the story of unseasoned lovers . With the willow tree diagram serving as metaphor for their die love , the duo ' fate is seal before their love can truly bloom . When the trees in the tales are drop , so too is the love of the protagonists . In " Green Willow , " when the young warrior Tomotada pass for his dear , he find instead that his arms are full of the wispy leaves of the willow Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . When he at last dies , from his remains spring a willow tree that lace with his Green Willow and beneath the earth their roots embrace .
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