Willows are beautiful and beneficial for wildlife and humans, helping with flood management, writes Janet Lambert
A popular circular walk out of Watlington via Britwell Road, The Goggs or West Meadow is to the Willow Pond. This is named after the large number of willow trees which grow there. Along with the poplar trees, they provide a welcome canopy cover and shelter belt in the middle of wide open productive agricultural land. It’s wonderful to see the catkins and new shoots start to appear at this time of year to signpost the start of spring.
There are a number of types of willow. These lovely trees are the white willow (Salix alba) species, which is native to Britain and Europe and grows where there are watercourses such as ponds, rivers, drainage dykes and ditches. They are not only beautiful but incredibly beneficial for wildlife and humans. They can help with flood management. Willow tree roots can stabilise stream banks, help prevent soil erosion, slow down water flow and even improve water quality.
The white willow is deciduous. Its name is due to the grey green/silvery white leaves of the summer. Catkins appear on the trees in spring. The leaves start forming early and the trees hold their leaves into late autumn. They can grow as high as 25-30 metres and survive 20-30 years. There have been willows at the Willow Pond as long as anyone can remember.
Over time they do start to collapse into the pond due to their relatively weak trunks. This is more obvious in the winter when branches can be seen strewn across the pond. New growth does occur on these branches, which provides welcome cover for breeding Mallard and moorhens. Sometimes the landowner clears away the largest branches and those which have fallen across the path.
In some parts of the country willows are pollarded regularly to prevent them growing tall and toppling over. Willows may also be coppiced, where they are cut lower, the branches being used for fencing and weaving.
If anyone would like to share a story about a tree or group of trees that mean something to them or would like to join our tree group, please email Fiona Danks (fionadanks@gmail.com ) - we would love to hear from you.
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