I asked for a small tree, and got a Weeping Willow

[Soummer]

Green Weeping Willow, Salix alba

That's like asking for a hamster, and getting an elephant!

Do I even want to mess with it? I do have a space for it, in the back of my property, where it's nice and moist. In that spot, it would provide late afternoon shade for the house. It would be about 125-150 feet from my house and pipes.

Just how fast does it grow? Does it grow tall and wide at the same rate? I mean, will it be a monster in my lifetime? Probably, huh?

I think I have to plant it, considering who gave it to me... maybe it can succumb to some horrible fate in a few years, before it gets out of hand??????

Maybe I could just spend the next 40 years top pruning it

[DryGulch]

[LucyGoose]

Are they THAT bad, Janet? I remember we had one as a kid, and my dad had to always trim it to get the mower under it.....

Your too funny explaining it.....

[treelover3]

Are you sure the Latin name of the plant is correct?

Salix alba is the white willow (alba = white), but the tree will have green leaves.

All of the references that I have found on the web show Salix alba as an upright growing tree, not a weeping tree. It's possible (very likely) that the nursery has/had the tree mislabeled. Or, is there a cultivar designation on the label, too, like Salix alba 'Pendula'? That would indicate a weeping white willow.

If you have the space for the tree, go ahead and plant it. Willows are VERY fast growing trees, 4 to 6 feet (yes, feet) per year, possibly more if the tree is really happy.

If you have any reservations about planting this tree - don't. Just explain to the person who gave you the tree that the tree isn't suitable for your yard and then see if you can take the tree back to the nursery and exchange it for something else.

Willows have very brittle wood, are fairly short-lived, and since these trees grow so fast, you will have a huge tree to remove in less than 20 years - at great expense.

I'm sure the person meant well, but people really shouldn't buy trees for anyone but themselves.
My .02
Good luck,
Mike

[Soummer]

I'm a little less panicked than I was...

Well, according to the tag, it can get 75' tall and 50' wide. That would reach from one side of my lot to the other (60' wide lot) And actually, that would be okay, I don't even care about the mess, it would be so far back I wouldn't have to deal with it. My own little nature preserve.

I get a little (little?) edgy reading all the negative comments on how it invades water pipes or blows over easy. But I do think I will plant it anyway All my utilities are in the front of my house, and if it did fall over, even full grown, I still have atleast 30' leeway.

Our neighborhood had one across the street from me, in an empty group of lots that have since been developed. It was lovely to behold. Of course, it was the first thing that had to come down when building started. I was very sad Mom was, too. Maybe that's why she gave this to me.

Maybe I could bonzi it???

[Soummer]

Hi Mike, we posted at the same time

I'm not sure about the label being true. Maybe you can help, here's exactly what it says: Green Weeping Willow, Salix alba, Sauce Lloron Verde. The picture is definately weeping, but that means nothing, I know. I have found nothing via google that matchs all the afore listed names.

I do believe I will plant it, let it grow some and see how it presents itself. Maybe do some creative pruning. Heck, it's my tree, I can prune it if I want to! If I end up hating it, I will rip it out before it takes over.

I'd still like to know as much as possible about it.... like what it actually is!

[JaneG]

I like big weeping willows, planted one way out back when the house was first built 10 years ago. The main trunk broke and what started life as a side stem (or sucker) is now the main trunk. When it was about 3 years old I dug it up and replanted it . . . it didn't seem to mind. Still alive and doing well. Once or twice year I trim it so that I can get the mower under it.

Then 3 or 4 years ago I found weeping willows for just $15 bucks at the grocery store. I bought 3 more and planted them along a fence row to help fill it out and to block the RR tracks that run along that side of the property line.

They are indeed fast growers and if you like the giant look of old willows then you MUST plant it!