A willowy welcome to spring Apr 7, 2021

A willowy welcome to spring

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.

© Jim Brandenburg/Minden Pictures

palette

Today in History

Apr 7, 2018The confluence of the Arve and Rhône Rivers
Apr 7, 2019Busy building wetlands
Apr 7, 2020Once in a pink moon
Apr 7, 2022Málaga, Spain
Apr 7, 2023International Beaver Day
Apr 7, 2024International Beaver Day
Apr 7, 2025Happy International Beaver Day!
Apr 7, 2026International Beaver Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

May 28, 2020Old man s whiskers growing wild
Jun 10, 2020The Millennium at 20
Mar 17, 2025Happy St. Patricks Day!
Jan 8, 2023Breckenridge, Colorado
Feb 22, 2021Invisible no longer
Sep 19, 2025Thousand Islands region, St. Lawrence River, US-Canada border
Nov 24, 2023Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park, Washington
Apr 29, 2025Formal garden at Château de Villandry, Loire Valley, France
Jul 2, 2018Keep watching the skies
Apr 23, 2026Shakespeare Day
Jun 15, 2018Ready for takeoff
Jan 1, 2025Happy New Year!
Jul 19, 2019A place fit for the gods
Nov 3, 2025World Jellyfish Day
Aug 3, 2020The monsoon arrives in the desert
Sep 19, 2019Fall for birding
May 26, 2021Behold the blood moon
Sep 12, 2024World Dolphin Day
Mar 16, 2023Panda Day
Jul 6, 2020Welcome to the Ring of Fire
May 15, 2025Palace of Westminster, London, England
Nov 10, 202547 years of Badlands National Park
Feb 23, 2024Haghartsin Monastery, Armenia
May 7, 2026Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona
Feb 1, 2023Black History Month
May 10, 2023Cordouan Lighthouse, France
Mar 29, 2025Superbloom in Carrizo Plain National Monument, California
Jun 24, 2022Cenote near Puerto Aventuras, Mexico
Apr 5, 2025Gaztelugatxe at sunset, Basque Country, Spain
Jul 29, 2020Góða ólavsøku, from the Faroes!