Location: 7926 Stanford, front yard

Weeping willow, native to China, is a small deciduous tree reaching 30 to 40 feet with branches that sweep to the ground. It is often grown near a pond which allows the branches to touch the water.

It is dioecious, with both male and female flowers on separate male and female trees. The leaves are long, narrow, finely-toothed and lanceolate up to 6 inches in length and ¾ inch wide.

The 17th century Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus, the “Father of Taxonomy”, believed it to be the biblical willow of Babylon, hence the name.