Shoka Mara / Weeping Willow
Salix babylonica
- Found in India
- Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh & more
How to identify Shoka Mara
Identify Shoka Mara by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Long drooping cascading branches (weeping willow).
- Confirm leaf arrangement: Alternate.
- Confirm leaf margin: Toothed.
- Confirm flower arrangement: Catkin.
- In India, compare location records such as Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Salicaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Shoka Mara.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Salix babylonica
- Genus
- Salix
- Family
- Salicaceae
- Found in India
- Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf arrangement
- AlternaterecordedOne leaf per node, arranged in a spiral or zigzag up the stem.“The leaves are alternate and spirally arranged, narrow, light green, 4–16 cm (1.6–6.3 in) long and 0.5–2 cm (0.2–0.8 in) broad, with finely serrate margins and long acuminate tips;” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf margin
- ToothedrecordedA saw-like or jagged edge (serrate or dentate).“The leaves are alternate and spirally arranged, narrow, light green, 4–16 cm (1.6–6.3 in) long and 0.5–2 cm (0.2–0.8 in) broad, with finely serrate margins and long acuminate tips;” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Shoka Mara itself; the rest are typical of the Salicaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower arrangement
- CatkinrecordedA slim, often dangling spike of tiny, usually wind-pollinated flowers.“The flowers are arranged in catkins produced early in the spring;” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Characters marked “recorded” are for Shoka Mara itself; the rest are typical of the Salicaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Kannada
- ಶೋಕಮರ Shoka mara
- Nepali
- बैंस Bains, तिस्सी Tissi
About Shoka Mara
Weeping willow (Salix babylonica) belongs to the Salicaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and 2 other states.
Uses
In practice it is planted as an ornamental and valued as a shade and avenue tree.
Salicaceae
Willow Family
Shoka Mara belongs to the Salicaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Salicaceae familySnap it. Know it.
Point your camera at Shoka Mara or any plant and SASYA identifies it instantly — on-device, offline, and private.
Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
All plant problem & care guides