The fluffy white seeds of weeping willow may even benefit from dispersal by water. They're light enough to float on both air currents and water, but if kept cool and moist they stay fresh for longer. In fact, weeping willow seeds spread by water can last for up to a month, whereas normally their viability begins to drop after 10 days.

It takes a willow tree about 5-10 years to grow tall and start making seeds. They do best in wet soil and full sun, especially near rivers and streams. Weeping willows grow the fastest, adding 3-4 feet every year.

Primary dispersal of willow seeds is by wind. The hairs or Acotton@Cwhich give the seed great buoyancyCdevelop on the seedcoat as opposed to being a modification of the seedcoat, as is the case with the wings and other structures that facilitate dispersal in other species (Bewley and Black 1994). The seed separates easily from the hairs.

Reproduction: Weeping Willows are dioecious, with separate male and female trees. They reproduce through seeds, which are dispersed by wind or water, but they can also spread vegetatively through root suckers or cuttings. This ability to root from cuttings has been used historically for propagation.