Tree · Salicaceae
Weeping Willow
Salix babylonica
Plant it near water, give it room to spread, and it'll trail its green branches right down to the ground.
Full sun
Every 3–7 days
USDA 6–8
30–50 ft · 9.1–15.2 m
Overview
Not much says waterside like a weeping willow, does it? Those long, thin branches hang almost to the ground and shiver at the smallest breeze, which is why you'll spot the tree next to so many ponds and streams. It's part of the willow family, and it's carried the name Salix babylonica for ages, even though its real roots turned out to be in China.
Here's the thing, it's a fast-growing tree that gets big quick, climbing to 30 to 50 feet (9 to 15 m) tall and about the same across in just a handful of years. That quickness has a downside, though. The wood's brittle, and the roots run shallow and reach a long way hunting for water, so the willow really wants open ground well away from drains, paving, and foundations.
Give it sun and damp soil and it pretty much looks after itself. The catch? A bit of cleanup, since it drops litter, loses limbs in storms, and doesn't live all that long for such a big tree. Pop it somewhere roomy with water close by, though, and hardly anything beats that graceful, drooping shape.
Care
The short version: put it in full sun and damp ground, ideally near water, hand it loads of open space away from pipes and pavement, and trim the brittle wood in late winter so storms can't snap it up.
Light
Weeping willow's happiest in full sun, but it'll cope with a bit of partial shade too. The more light it gets, the fuller and healthier the canopy, and all that sun dries the leaves off faster, which keeps fungal problems from moving in.
Water
This tree loves wet feet, so don't worry about giving it too much. It's right at home beside ponds and streams, doesn't mind standing water or the odd flood, and just wants soil that stays nice and moist. It can handle a short dry stretch, but if a drought drags on with no water, it'll drop leaves to get by.
Soil
Soil's an easy one here, since the willow isn't fussy at all. It's fine in clay, loam, or sand, and happy in acidic or alkaline ground either way, and unlike most trees it doesn't mind poor drainage or a soggy, wet spot.
Temperature
It's tough across a big range, holding steady from -9°F to 100°F (-23°C to 38°C). That kind of hardiness means it fits most temperate gardens, whether the winters get harsh or the summers turn hot.
Humidity
Regular outdoor air is all it needs, so there's no number to keep an eye on. What counts more is air movement, because a still, crowded canopy is exactly where leaf diseases like to start.
Feeding
A balanced general-purpose tree fertilizer in early spring is plenty while the tree's young. Once it's settled on a moist site, it barely needs feeding at all and just grows fast on its own.
Pruning
Grab the pruners in late winter to early spring, before the leaves come out, and clear away any dead, weak, or storm-damaged wood. Since the wood's brittle and snaps under ice and snow, cutting back weak crotches now saves you bigger breaks later.
Repotting
This one's a landscape tree for open ground, not a pot plant, so there's no repotting to bother with. If you're starting with nursery stock, just get it planted before the roots circle the pot or start lifting and girdling at the base.
Size & spacing
Plan for a big tree that hits 30 to 50 feet (9 to 15 m) tall and just as wide. Give it that whole 30 to 50 feet (9 to 15 m) of clear space so the roots and drooping crown have room, well back from buildings and pipes.
When to plant
You'll want to get a weeping willow in the ground in spring or fall, once the soil's easy to work and the worst of the cold is behind you. Its catkins show up early, around April and May, arriving with or just before the new leaves, so you'll know spring's turned the corner.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: Spring or fall, after the ground is workable
- Harvest: Catkins appear in early spring (April to May), before or with the leaves
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 6–8
Temperature: down to -23°C
Troubleshooting
Most willow problems pop up on the leaves, the shoots, or those brittle limbs, and a tree that grows this fast can hang onto trouble for a while before it really spreads. So it pays to know the early signs below and jump in while it still helps. Spot what matches, then deal with it.
Woody lumps at the crown and a fading tree
Those tumor-like galls at the crown and roots are the sign of crown gall, a bacterium that can't be cured once it's in. And in soggy, airless soil the roots can rot and turn dark too. Dig out and destroy a badly galled tree, fix the drainage wherever rot's the issue, and whatever you do, don't wound the roots or lower trunk while you work.
Fix:
- Remove and destroy severely galled plants
- Avoid wounding roots and crown during cultivation
- Improve drainage where root rot is suspected
Blackened shoots and scabby spring leaves
When willow scab and black canker hit the same tree, folks call the combo willow blight, and the new shoots go black and die back in a hurry. Cut out and burn the blighted, cankered wood, rake up every last fallen leaf, and open up the canopy so air can get through. A labeled fungicide only really helps in a rough year, and even then only on top of the cleanup.
Fix:
- Prune out and destroy blighted and cankered shoots
- Rake and remove fallen infected leaves
- Improve air circulation and avoid overhead wetting
- Apply a labeled fungicide in severe cases following extension guidance
Sticky curled leaves, or sawdust down the trunk
Leaves curling up under a sticky film usually mean aphids or scale are feeding, while sawdust and little holes in the trunk point to borers instead. Blast aphids off with a hose or treat scale with horticultural oil, and keep the tree well watered so borers have a harder time. And any branch the borers have already tunneled into? Cut it out and destroy it.
Fix:
- Hose off or treat aphids; horticultural oil for scale
- Maintain vigor with adequate water to limit borer attack
- Remove and destroy borer-infested branches
- Use labeled insecticides only when infestations are severe
Limbs that split and break when storms hit
Willow wood is brittle by nature, so limbs tear at those narrow crotches whenever ice, snow, or wind piles on. Prune out broken and weak branches as soon as you see them, and shorten any overlong limb so storms have less to grab. Shaping the tree while it's young builds stronger joins that'll hold up for years.
Fix:
- Prune out broken and weak limbs promptly
- Reduce overextended branches to lessen storm loading
- Remove deadwood regularly
Toxicity
Got pets? Good news, the weeping willow isn't poisonous. The leaves and twigs are fine around cats, dogs, horses, rabbits, livestock, and birds, and rabbits actually love willow as a browse. The one catch is the bark holds salicylates, which is the natural stuff behind aspirin, so nobody should be eating it in any real amount.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
A nibble of willow leaf won't poison a cat, don't worry. Like with any greenery, a tummy that's not used to plants might get a little upset, so it's worth steering a determined chewer toward something else.
Dogs None
Weeping willow's fine around dogs, and a curious mouthful of leaves does no real harm. Just don't let a dog strip bark by the mouthful, since that's where the salicylates behind aspirin are.
Horses None
Horses can browse willow no problem, and the foliage has always been considered harmless to them.
Rabbits Safe
Willow leaves and twigs are a familiar safe browse for rabbits, and they're often handed over as a gnawing treat.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep graze willow without any trouble, and the leaves are no poisoning risk to the herd.
Birds Safe
Birds nest and forage in willows all the time, and neither the leaves nor the catkins are any threat to them.
People Safe
Weeping willow isn't a poisonous tree, so the leaves are no danger to people. Just one thing to know: the bark carries salicylates, the natural source of aspirin, so it shouldn't be eaten in any amount.
No special toxicity handling required; as with any plant, discourage pets from chewing large quantities of foliage or bark.
Varieties
A few named willows are worth a look for the shape or color they bring, and these are the ones you'll want to know.
Tortuosa (Corkscrew / Contorted Willow, Dragon's Claw Willow)
You'll see its branches, shoots, and leaves twist into a corkscrew, and it looks best on new growth, then turns really eye-catching once the tree drops its leaves for winter.
Golden Weeping Willow (Salix × sepulcralis 'Chrysocoma')
It's a vigorous hybrid, and its bright golden-yellow branches light up a bare winter garden.
Aurea
This one's loved for the warm golden color of its young stems.
How to propagate
Willows are about as easy as trees get to multiply, so one parent can give you loads of young plants, whether from cuttings or a branch bent down to the soil.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Late winter to early spring (hardwood) or summer (softwood) · Several weeks to root; rapid establishment thereafter
Honestly, hardly any tree roots as easily as a willow. Take hardwood cuttings in late winter or early spring, or softwood ones in summer, and even a bare stick pushed into moist soil will root in a few weeks and then really take off. It's just the usual way the tree gets grown.
LayeringEasy
Spring to summer · One season
Low branches basically do it for you. Pin one against moist ground from spring through summer, and it'll root right where it touches, handing you a new plant in a single season.
Myths
A weeping willow is poisonous to dogs and cats, so you've got to keep it away from pets.
Willows just aren't on the ASPCA toxic-plant lists, and the closely related purpleosier willow is actually listed as non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. The real trouble is the pushy roots and brittle wood, not poison. The bark does hold salicylates, that natural aspirin compound, so it shouldn't be eaten in quantity.
A weeping willow is a tough, long-lived shade tree that'll fit a small yard.
It grows fast, sure, but it lives a short life and wants steady upkeep. The wood's brittle and the roots really chase water, working into drains and sewers and heaving up pavement, which makes it a bad fit for a tight or built-up spot.