Salix Fragilis

Salix fragilis (crack willow) is a species of willow native to Europe and western Asia, usually growing beside rivers.

It is a medium-sized to large deciduous tree, which grows rapidly to 10–20 m (33–66 ft) (rarely to 29 m) tall, with a trunk up to 1 m diameter and an irregular, often leaning crown. The bark is grey-brown, coarsely fissured in older trees. The leaves are bright green, 9–15 cm long and 1.5–3 cm wide, with a finely serrated margin; they are very finely hairy at first in spring, but soon become hairless. The flowers are produced in catkins in early spring, and pollinated by insects. They are dioecious, with male and female catkins on separate trees; the male catkins are 4–6 cm long, the female catkins are also 4–6 cm long, with the individual flowers having either one or two nectaries.

The variety S. fragilis var. decipiens (Hoffm.) K. Koch occurs frequently with the type; it is a smaller shrubby tree, rarely exceeding 5–7 m 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. trianda. Llittle evidence supports either of these suggestions.

It readily forms natural hybrids with white willow S. alba, the hybrid being named Salix × rubens Schrank.