The weeping willow, or salix babylonica, began its life in dry northern China, but spread rapidly across Asia and to other parts of the world via the Silk Road. These days, it is grown almost everywhere. It offers a sense of beauty and grace to any garden space, adds dense shade, and the wind whispers beautifully through the long, trailing branches.

Weeping willows are often planted near ponds or streams and there is nothing quite so lovely as watching the currents sweep against the branches that have reached down into the water. It evokes a strong sense of peace and transience, making it perfect for a Japanese garden.

As a deciduous tree, the weeping willow will lose its leaves in the winter, but it will retain all of the beauty. The lines of the branches can be fully appreciated then, as can the overall shape of the tree. It never loses its ornamental value in the yard or more formal garden.

With access to a water source, a willow will typically require little maintenance, though care should be taken because its spreading roots can interfere with pipes and other things underground. In winter or early spring, regular pruning should be given to your weeping willow, trimming back branches that have grown overly long or branches that have become crowded. When too crowded, a weeping willow loses some of its attractiveness, becoming a draping mass of green in spring or summer, though the extra branches do not harm the tree in any way.

A particular cultivar known as rokakudai is a type of Japanese weeping willow that is often grown as a bonsai. Bonsai is the Japanese art of growing a tree in a small container and shaping it, often over many years, to resemble a large, fully grown tree, albeit in a very small size. It takes a careful hand and a great deal of patience to grow a bonsai that properly resembles a fully grown tree. They are appreciated as contemplative objects and thoughtful projects for the grower.

Like its larger cousin, the Japanese rokakudai weeping willow is also deciduous and is most appreciated for the drape of its branches, and slender, pointed leaves. Differing from its cousin, it tends to be more sparse in its foliage and the branches are very carefully trimmed, because they are a highly important part of the beauty of the rokakudai bonsai.

Adding a Japanese willow tree to your garden is a sure way to enhance the beauty of your home.