replacement for weeping birch

Can anyone recommend a replacement for a weeping birch. I'd like another weeper but not a birch (borers are too much of a nuisance here). Something in the 20 ft. range?

Thanks.

Fagus sylvatica 'Purple Fountain' or 'Black Swan'.

Willis

Or you could be the first on the block to try Acer palmatum 'Ryusen' from pendulousplants.com. Somebody has to try it out and report back. Here is their link

http://www.pendulousplants.com/catalog_a-c.htm

How about Cercidiphyllum japonicum 'Pendula' (Weeping Katsura Tree)?

http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/59764/

- Brent

Cercidiphyllum japonicum "Pendula".

Scott

The foliage is amongst my favorite of all trees. Here's a shot of that (from the straight species, not "Pendula," but it looks the same). Fall color is gold and smells of caramel.

Scott

That katsura gets my vote as well, I think it smells like cotton candy.

C'mon, give watersedge the big link.

Caution: long thread with a lot of pictures.

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/668578/

Speaking of......where is Dybuk?

I think that willis' suggestion of A. p. 'Ryusen' gets my vote so far. The Fagus and Cercidiphyllum are both a little more blocky and beefy than I had in mind which is why I've had such a hard time coming up with a substitute. I might just be that person to try it.

Weeping Katsuras are certainly gorgeous. I like that thread, VV. If nothing else, it gave me an opportunity to sing Amazing Grace to the old tune in the Coke commercials. The thread was very nicely composed.

I do have the straight species (it and Quercus ellipsoidalis were the first two trees I planted here.). Right now, the surrounding landscape is too wild to handle something as refined and scupturally massive as a weeping Katsura. I sure wouldn't mind having one planted on my grave, though.

Thanks, everyone.

I cut an d pasted Dybuk into the member search and it reported:

That member does not exist! Try again?

Are you spelling it right?

dybbuk?

Watersedge and Willis,

I finally linked to that maple and it is gorgeous. Cercidiphyllum j. "Pendula" does get big, and, if happy, it grows pretty fast too.

Scott

My suggestions were trying to keep the same shape as that birch roughly. I wouldn't really call the fagus beefy or blocky, but if you are willing to give that Ryusen a go, then by all means. Somebody has to be the first to dip their toe into the waters (it does look pretty cool doesn't it).

Guess Dybbuk had one ginkgo too many. He is still here till May 5th at least. We all need to see his new purchases for '07.

Willis

I'm here! Just lying low through the gloom of winter. I vote for Katsura also. Try 'Tidal Wave'. Grows super fast and has the great cotton candy smell in fall and amazing spring color. Another great weeper is Weeping Hackberry. Fast and dense growth with perfect leaves. I'll be back with a list of my new purchases soon.

Hope everyone is ready to plant and beautify!

In this forum you have so many ideas so you are the blessed one who can choose to beautify the "drive by" person who looks at your choice. I have the Fagus and I love it over all my weepers. Steve

I have seen fantastic specimens of Weeping Eurpean Beech in Newport, Rhode Island. That had layered in all around the parent plant which had died. This created a fantastic room on the intereior of the layers which were then themselves 50 ft tall. It was wonderful.

My own favorite weeper is Tsuga c. Sargentii. I put one of those in this fall only to have the deer come and strip it. (It's always so wonderful to be of such great service to the wildones.) Why can't they make a Bt for deer?

Just curious as to whether or not anyone has tried out A. p. 'ryusen' yet. I'm trying to get ahold of one but haven't had much luck. Has anyone seen any aside from on pendulous plants?

Nope, I haven't looked too much for it elsewhere, but that was the only place I remember seeing it.

After doing a little research...I think the name should be Acer palmatum 'ryusei' rather than 'ryusen'. I could be wrong about this, but there are a couple of sources that indicate that 'ryusen' is another cultivar, and that the new pendulous form has been mislabeled. I'm trying to get into contact about this with ItSaul nursery, who has introduced the tree as 'ryusen'. Unfortuneately they only do wholesale by the way.

I just saw one today and WOW is it a beautiful tree. It was about 6 ft tall and $1000. I hadn't expected it to be so "weepy". I might have to splurge.

After doing a little more research it appears there is confusion almost to the source as to whether or not it is 'ryusen' or 'ryusei'. According to someone who talked to someone who talked directly to the man who released it, 'ryusen' is the correct name. A japanese maple book from japan lists it as 'ryusei', but this is supposeldy incorrect. At this point I throw up my hands and say "who cares? I just want one!"

Dybbuk, if you go back there please bring your camera. I won't be splurging on that, but would love to see it.

Willis

I will take a picture of it. You will not be disappointed. Hopefully I'll be taking the picture in my yard....

You do need more maples. A nice reddish fall color to compliment all that yellow from the ginkgos.

Willis

Well I didn't make it to see the 'ryusen' today but I did venture off to Rich's Fox Willow Pines. Drove about an hour and a half and then trudged through the farm through torrential rain. Got some nice stuff:

Ginkgo biloba 'Todd's WB'...I had to have one since that's my name...
Ginkgo biloba 'Tubiformis'...I had one already but this was such a nice example...
Pseudotsuga menziesii 'Emeral Twister'...Big 4 foot gnarled Douglas Fir. Awesome!
PIce abies 'Cranstonii'...A snake spruce with light green new growth. Looks like Nessie!
Not sure of the other's names. Left the tags out in my car....

One's another "snakey" conifer...

The other is a Ponderosa Pine 'Hi Desert"??? Cool purple cones on it...

pics to follow...