With winter officially over, we"re weeping for joy right alongside this willow tree, its wispy new boughs signaling a healthy year of growth to come. About 400 species of willow grow across the globe in water-rich, seasonally chilly spots like here in Minnesota. With some willows soaring up to 70 feet tall and wide, cultures around the world have bestowed deep symbolism on the formidable trees, associating them with refuge, wisdom, or plenty—if not with ghosts, demons, or the spirit world. One thing all traditions can agree on: When a willow sprouts bright green wisps like this, it"s a welcome symbol of spring"s arrival.
A willowy welcome to spring
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Feelin groovy on Record Store Day
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Hyalite Creek at Custer Gallatin National Forest, Montana
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Moody skies over Valletta
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Daylight Saving Time
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A yearly sign that spring has sprung
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Basking in the glow
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Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
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Tiny fliers head south
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Moai statues on Easter Island, Chile
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Vale of Edale, Peak District, England
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International Tea Day
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Long-eared owl in the Czech Republic
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Chestnut-headed bee-eaters, Bardia National Park, Nepal
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Lantern Festival
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Everglades National Park turns 75
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International Day of the Tropics
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A long winter’s nap, perhaps?
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Beech trees and wild anemones, Jutland, Denmark
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Gauchos showcase Argentina’s independent spirit
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Limpets at low tide on the coast of Praia da Ursa, Portugal
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A ‘circus of chaos’ for Stravinsky
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Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, China
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Citizenship Day and Constitution Day
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Make your way up a picturesque passageway of Chefchaouen
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A sea of swirling stone
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Aït Benhaddou, Morocco
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Nomads of the Gobi
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Joshua Tree National Park, California
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Where is this gorgeous peak?
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Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
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