I'm moving in a week, and the house I'm moving to has a big front yard. I dearly want to put a weeping willow in the middle of it, but I've never had one before and I'd like to know what I'm getting into before it's too late. I know it will take a lot of water (NOT a problem in SE Texas for the most part), and I'll pretty much lose the grass beneath it (which I don't have a problem with either). But is there something about them that I'll say... man, I wish I'd known that...
Kind of like marriage, isn't it? You never know until it's too late.
Thanks!
Ann
input on weeping willows
Ann-
The only regret worthy problem I've ever heard about them, is that they love water enough to search out your underground pipes for water!
This could be a nightmare. Usually when you buy a new home, the yard is flagged for all that stuff from the inspection, so you should be able to know where they are right now.
And, I'd just suggest you plant it AWAY from the water lines, and pretty much as far from the actual house, as possible.
-T
Weeping willow is a beautiful tree when placed out in the open with adequate water and lots of room to grow. It has extensive leaf and twig drop which can be a litter problem, a shallow root system and weak, brittle wood which breaks easily. Wind and ice storms can cause a lot of damage. (You never know ... with the weather being so weird the past 2 years, you might actually have a bad ice strom where you live). Dead and damaged wood will need to be pruned out (which can be done at anytime). Insect nuisances include aphids, borers, defoliators, gall insects, Japanese beetles, lacebugs, sawflies, scale insects and spider mites. The tree is difficult to kill if you decide you don't want it anymore and will produce many suckers from the stump. Live twigs which fall to the ground and are not picked up will root if provided enough moisture.
In my neighborhood, the grass under the weeping willows is not dead from lack of light. They actually let a lot of light come through them. One is planted where the grass (St. Augustine) receives morning sun and afternoon shade. My neighbor shears the bottoms of the branches up enough so that a person can walk under the tree which also allows more light for the grass. iBermuda grass may thin out or from lack of light depending upon where the tree is situated and whether or not you will want to have to trim the bottoms of the branches up from the ground some.
A weeping willow that has been trimmed ...
Another view of the same tree ... it really needs to be farther from the house and is probably too large for this small front yard; but, it is beautiful right now.
Note: I have collected cuttings from it, made "willow tea", placed rose cuttings in the tea to soak up the willow extract, dipped the cuttings in regular root stimulator and planted them. The willow tea works great. It can be used for rooting cuttings of other plants as well with no need to dip them in other commercial root stimulator.
Ann,
Oh how I hope you will put one of these in!!! They are BEAUTIFUL!!!! We had one growing up and she provided wonderful shade and family fun. We'd pull all the yard leaves up every year under here, the next year they were all composted down. We tied a huge rope to a limb and spent so many days swinging from it after climbing a wooden platform my brother built. TARZAN!!! We had a small wood behind our house that flooded a little after each winter so that tree grew and grew and grew.
The only slight problem we ever had with it was that it would lose it's pencil thin wispy branches in a strong wind and we'd pick them out of the yard or the pool.
I've no doubt if you plant one you and many will enjoy it for years!!!!
Not exactly a xeriscape tree. Needs deep soil and lots of water. Might be okay in Beaumont. I can't imagine anybody wanting one in areas with water restrictions and thin topsoil.
Thank you, EVERYBODY, for all the input! Though there are cons, I think the pros outweigh them. I'll be sure it's not near plumbing in any way, shape, or form -- THAT would be a nightmare. I appreciate that note, seedpicker. I'm right on the edge of the Big Thicket, and there is good soil and lots of water; hopefully it won't be easier to go for my plumbing!
htop, thanks especially for the tip about the willow tea! I will most definitely do that. And the pictures are great. I do plan to trim the dripline a bit; my granddaughter will love making it her fairy castle.
And alamoaimee, for the note about compost. (A compost bin or heap or some kind of device will be the second project for the new place -- it has galled me no end to have to throw away compostable kitchen stuff for the last few years!)
Thank you ALL so much!
Ann