They are simple leaves with smooth or toothed edges. Willow flowers are borne in early spring, either before or after the leaves. The male flowers are more noticeable than the female flowers, the former being a yellow color when mature, though some kinds are reddish. The female flowers are ordinarily green or gray-green. Very rarely are male or female flowers produced on the same tree.
Willows are very easy to grow and love moist soil in full sun.
They are not harmed on ground that tends to collect water. S. babylonica, the Weeping Willow, grows from 40 to 50 feet high. It has graceful, long, thin branches covered in delicate leaves, which grow from 3 to 6 inches long. They are smooth, dark green above and paler green beneath. The edges are finely and evenly serrated.