Willow trees, Lake Bret, Bugey, France

© Jean-Philippe Delobelle/Minden Picture

Info. Willow trees reflecting in Lake Bret, Bugey, France

Willows are a family of trees and shrubs. There are about 400 species of this plant, usually found on moist soils in cooler regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Willows vary greatly in size and shape from small shrubs that grow just a few centimetres above the soil to huge trees that reach 30 metres in height. Willows love water, which is why most are found growing near streams, lakes and rivers. The trees in our photo are reflecting in a lake in Bugey, a winegrowing region in eastern France between Lyon and Geneva.