Weeping Willows

[KanoasDestiny]

I was just curious if anyone here has a weeping willow, and if so, what kind of climate do you live in. I've heard that they can grow in drought areas if there is enough water. I have always wanted a couple of willows but I'd like to know the pros/cons of having them before I purchase one.

 

[Miniv]

We have THREE Weeping Willows in our immediate yard near the house.....one in front and two in back.

We live in a high desert area where Juniper and Sage are the native trees/shrubs in the area and if your land doesn't have irrigation water rights, it's worthless - unless you live in the city and get city water.....

The two healthiest Weeping Willows of our three just happen to be right along side irrigation canals so we don't have to water them. The third one is older and almost dead. It gets it's water primarily from our sprinklers when we water the lawn. We are saving it because the trunk is so beautiful.......sort of like driftwood is. Plus, the top section of the tree is hollow and is the home for one of our seasonal woodpeckers.

I love them, BTW, but they can be a little messy if you have any wind. I also like having all the birds that like to nest in them.......

 

[KanoasDestiny]

I also live in desert area, so your post has been really helpful. I wasn't sure if they would grow too well in drier climates. We do get a lot of wind though. Are your's really full with a lot of shade? My husband is concerned that they may not fill out.

 

[Wee Mite Miniatures]

Do not plant weeping willows any where near where you have any pipes under ground. Water or sewer. The roots are horrible and will cause you problems with any pipes in the area.

 

[Relic]

We planted ours 5 years ago when it was bone dry in the spring and we've been in drought conditions for the past 7 years now. We had one in the backyard close to the septic tank but we had to get him out of there because he was doing some damage to the cement he also lifted some of the blocks on the patio with his roots while looking for moister. My better half wants to take the big one in the front out now because he thinks he might go under the house and do damage there we don't have a basement just a heated slab. l love them they are really graceful trees when mature.

 

[drk]

I'm in Maryland and have had Weeping Willows in my yard since I was a kid. They like wet areas best. They thrive well along ponds and lakes. I always make sure I plant them in a low lying area so after it rains the water lays there awhile. When we have had drought conditions you can see the tree needs water and some of it's leaves will fall off. They will do okay in a dry area but they do their best in damp soil. The reason they will do damage to underground pipes and tanks is because they like the water and that's why they are best planted in that type of ground where it's more moist. They also do the best in sunny areas.

They are so easy to root. You can just cut a tiny branch off an existing tree and stick it in water and within a week you will see roots growing. Then just plant it outside. I did that when I moved to the house I now live in. Took a branch of my moms Willow and rooted it in a glass of water. That was 7 years ago and today it's about 30' tall.

I love the Weeping Willows. Very Graceful trees.

 

[bevann]

We had weeping willows as a kid.My brother hated that tree since he had to go cut his own switch when he was bad which was lots.My only concern is the root system since they go for pipes and blow over easily in high wind storms.They are very beautiful and you see lots of them on amish farms near the streams.

 

[HorseMom]

I love weeping willows. If you live in a drought area you may need to check local laws. I know some places ban them due to the amount of water that they need.

 

[Katiean]

When I was a kid I lived in Sacto. CA. We had a very big weeping willow tree in our back yard. Where the tree was, in the summer, we would run the water and it would fill up like a basin. We didn't do it for the tree. We did it because we had show rabbits and as it would get too hot, we would also spray down the branches and we had a natural swamp cooler. Also if a rabbit got too hot we would put it down into the water around the tree to cool it. We also had a willow tree in the front yard that was the same age as the one in the back. But, it wasn't as big as the one in the back. It did quite well. Just not as big.

 

[Miniv]

I also live in desert area, so your post has been really helpful. I wasn't sure if they would grow too well in drier climates. We do get a lot of wind though. Are your's really full with a lot of shade? My husband is concerned that they may not fill out.

We aren't sure how old our trees are. We've only been here for 5+ years. The very original part of the house we live in dates back to about 1940 and we just assumed that at least the OLDEST Willow was planted at that time.

There have been two other additions made to our home. One in the 1950's and another in the 1970's. The other two Willows may have been planted at either of those times.

All I know is our two healthiest (one in front and one in back) are each right along the irrigation canals and both have HUGE canopies. Larry estimates each of their canopies to be about 70 feet wide.

 

[Marty]

Here is our Weeping Willow. This was a loving gift from Michael for a father's day gift. He grew it from a twig for him. It now thrives out front in our entrance. It loves full sun and lots of water, but it cannot stand in water so we planted it on a slope where it gets a good drink but the water runs off. Its growing stronger and stronger. I even lit it up for Christmas.