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 Large stems of Aravah were brought from a place called Motza, in the valley below Yerushalayim. 

 Summary 

 Gemara: 

 Beraisa: That place was a colony of Rome.

The reason our mishna calls it Motza is because it was exempt from head-tax.

 We learned in the mishna (35.6): The aravos were set up erect around the mizbeach and their tips bent over on the mizbeach. 

 Beraisa: They were fresh and long and 11 amos high (a man is 4 amos high) so that they can lean over the mizbeach an amah. 

 Mereimar from Mar Zutra: It must have been placed on the Yesod. 

How could it have been on the ground? [The mizbeach was not a shear wall 10 amos high] “The first amah was the yesod, it indented an amah, and then there was a 5 amah wall, it indented another amah for the soveiv, and then there was a three amah wall which was topped by the kranos.”* So how could an 11 amah aravah standing on the ground be bent one amah over the mizbeach? 

So we learn from here that it was placed on the Yesod.

 Rabbi Avahu: What is the scriptural source for surrounding the mizbeach with aravos? The possuk “Isru chag ba’avosim ad karnos hamizbeach - Bind the korban with ropes [slaughter it], and bring it near the corners of the mizbeach”. 

The word avosim can be understood to mean thickly foliaged branches, this possuk is telling us to bring these above the corners of the mizbeach. 

 Rabbi Avahu quoting Rabbi Elazar: Anyone who takes the lulav bound, and the hadas when it is plaited, is considered as if he built a mizbeach and brought a korban on it, based on the abovementioned possuk.