Weeping willow

Botanical name

Salix babylonica and hybrids

Type

Deciduous tree, fast growing, short lived

Form

Broad crown with long, drooping branchlets

Water

Streamside tree; not drought tolerant (USFS, for willows such as black willow)

Wood

Weak and brittle

Hardiness

Zones 6b to 7b across the service area

Willows are streamside trees. A willow in a yard has usually been put next to something wet, and when that water changes the tree reacts fast.

How do you identify a weeping willow?

Long, slender, drooping branchlets hang nearly to the ground, with narrow, pointed leaves that are green above and paler beneath. The trunk is short, with deeply furrowed gray-brown bark, and the crown is broad and rounded. Willows leaf out early in spring and hold green late in fall.

• Long drooping branchlets
• Narrow, pointed leaves
• Short, thick trunk dividing low
• Early leaf-out in spring

Where does it grow here?

Anywhere there is steady water: along the Truckee River in Reno and Sparks (4,400 to 4,500 feet), the Carson River and ditches in the Carson Valley and Dayton (4,400 to 4,900 feet), pond edges and heavily irrigated lawns. In zones 6b to 7b the cold is not the limit; water is. The nearest NOAA stations record about 7 to 9 inches of precipitation a year. Above about 6,000 feet, willows are mostly shrubby native types by creeks, not planted weepers.

What goes wrong with weeping willow?

The Forest Service describes black willow, a close relative, as growing at its healthiest at or below water level and not drought tolerant, with whole stands dying when water tables drop. It also describes slender, easily detached twigs, weak wood and shallow, lateral roots that leave the tree vulnerable to wind and breakage, and calls it short lived. Those findings are for black willow, not for weeping willow itself; weeping willows in yards show similar weak wood and water-seeking roots, which is why an arborist should look at a large one near a house or a sewer line.

In a yard that translates to dead tops when irrigation changes, large limbs that drop, trees that blow over in wind, and roots that travel toward water. Sewer lines, septic tanks, drain lines and pools are all sources of water. See root and trunk decay and the roots guide.

What does an arborist check on a willow?

We look at the base and the roots near the surface for decay, at how many stems the crown has, and at what the roots are close to. We also ask where the tree gets its water, because a willow whose ditch has been piped or whose lawn irrigation changed can decline for years before it fails.

Pruning timing and when removal is the answer

Dead and hazardous limbs can come off at any time. Otherwise, late winter, while dormant, is the usual time for deciduous trees. Willows tolerate pruning, and removing deadwood and reducing the longest limbs lowers breakage risk. Topping is not pruning; see why topping is not pruning.

Removal is usual for a tree with a dead crown, trunk decay, a lean toward a house, or roots in a pipe, septic tank or foundation drain. Large willows are large tree removals, some with a crane. Willows sprout from stumps, so ask about stump grinding. A certified arborist assesses the job on a free estimate. Call 811 before grinding, see call 811.