Weeping willow

Weeping willow: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Tree of 10–20 m with a broad, rounded crown about 15 m across and long twigs that hang down to the ground.

Leaves

Alternate, narrowly lance-shaped, 8–12 cm, finely toothed.

Bark

Grey-brown and furrowed; twigs golden yellow.

Flowering

Catkins in April, together with the leaves.

Difference from white willow

White willow has upright branches and silvery-grey leaves.

Flowering: April · Pruning: November–March

Identify by feature: Long, narrow leaves

Looks like it, but isn’t

• White willow Salix alba: upright branches and silvery-grey leaves. Difference from white willow

Why grow it?

• One of the first trees to turn green in spring.
• A graceful silhouette by the water, and golden-yellow twigs in winter.
• The catkins in April are early food for bees.
• Grows on wet ground, where many other trees struggle.
• Fast-growing: within a few years it looks like a mature tree.

Weeping willow: where does it grow best?

• Full sun.
• Moist to wet soil, beside a pond, ditch or stream; soil type matters little.
• Allow for 10–20 m in height and a crown of about 15 m: only for a large pond, a park or a very large garden.
• Plant it at least 15 m from the house, drains and sewers: the roots seek out water and get into leaking pipes, and on clay they can dry out the soil under foundations.

Light

Full sun

Legal basis

Any garden soil

Moisture

Moist to wet

Size

15 m tall, 15 m wide

Hardiness

Throughout Belgium, no protection needed

Goes well with

• Common dogwood: Red twigs next to golden ones: together a colourful winter picture at the water’s edge.
• Swamp cypress: Also happy with wet feet, and its upright shape and rusty autumn colour make a fine contrast.
• Alder: A native waterside tree that helps hold the edge of a large pond together.

Good and bad companions

Goes well with

• Tolerate the shade under this tree: oregon grape, rhododendron, oleaster, japanese skimmia, garden privet, camellia, laurustinus, box-leaved honeysuckle

Weeping willow: when and how to plant it?

1. Plant from November to March when the ground isn’t frozen.
2. Choose a young tree with a straight trunk; secure it to a stake until it is well rooted.
3. Don’t plant it right next to a small pond: the crown will soon cover it completely.
4. Water after planting and during dry spells in the first few summers, especially in ordinary garden soil.

Care

Watering

Not needed by the water; in ordinary garden soil, in dry spells during the first few years.

Feeding

Not needed.

Clearing up

It drops twigs all year round and lots of leaves in autumn: fish the leaves out of a small pond so the water doesn’t become too nutrient-rich.

Checking

Willow wood is brittle: have a large, old weeping willow checked regularly for dead and splitting branches.

Tip: Want a weeping tree in a small garden? Choose a weeping goat willow (Salix caprea ‘Kilmarnock’): a small weeping willow on a stem that stays just a few metres tall.

Weeping willow: when to prune it?

Pruning months: November–March.

When: During winter dormancy (November–March).

How:

• Trim the hanging shoots to the height you want, for example so that you can walk or mow underneath.
• Remove branches that grow straight up or cross each other, as well as dead branches.
• On a young tree, keep the trunk clear up to the height where the crown should start.

Caution: Don’t cut an oversized weeping willow back hard: it will respond with masses of upright shoots and lose its weeping shape.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Cuttings

In winter, push a 20–30 cm length of twig two-thirds of the way into moist soil: it roots readily. Willow twigs also quickly form roots in a glass of water.

Weeping willow: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy throughout Belgium: no protection needed.

• Fully hardy.
• The golden-yellow twigs bring colour in winter; wet snow and ice can break branches.

Diseases and pests

• Leaf spot and twig dieback: In wet springs, brown spots appear on the leaves and twigs; the leaves drop early and the shoot tips die back. Clear up fallen leaves and cut out dead twigs in winter.
• Willow leaf beetles: Small blue or green beetles and their larvae eat the leaves. Unsightly, but harmless.
• Goat moth: The fat red caterpillar of the goat moth bores tunnels in the trunk for years; you can smell a vinegary odour and see sawdust. Badly affected trees may break.
• Branch failure: Brittle wood: large branches can snap in a storm. Have old trees checked.

Through the year

• January: Prune during dormancy.
• February: Pruning; taking cuttings.
• March: The first green; last month for pruning and planting.
• April: Catkins, together with the young leaves.
• July: Water on drier soil.
• October: The leaves turn yellow and fall: clear them out of the pond.
• November: Planting season; pruning can start again.
• December: Pruning: trim the hanging shoots to height.

What can you use it for?

Garden and landscape

Ornamental tree for large ponds and parks.

Caution: Quickly grows tall and wide: not suitable for small gardens.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Caterpillars

Host plant: caterpillars of butterflies or moths eat the leaves.

Did you know?

• A hybrid planted mainly beside ponds and in parks.
• Sepulcralis means ‘of the tombs’: the weeping willow was a popular tree in cemeteries and a symbol of mourning.
• One of its parents is called Salix babylonica, but it comes from China: Linnaeus thought it was the willow of Babylon from the Psalms.
• One of its parents is Salix babylonica, named by Linnaeus after Psalm 137 and its willows by the rivers of Babylon. Those biblical ‘willows’ were probably Euphrates poplars.
• Sepulcralis means ‘of the grave’: the weeping willow was a popular symbol of mourning. In the 19th century, cuttings from the willow at Napoleon’s grave on St Helena spread far and wide.