Corkscrew Willow, Curly Willow, Pekin Willow, Hankow Willow, Dragon's Claw Willow 'Tortuosa'

Interestingly Curious Beautiful wispy feathery green willow shaped leaves.
Fragile to wind storms, grows very fast. We have 8 tree...Read Mores that were elegant in 2005 and need serious wind damaged corrective pruning.
My intention is to cut them to about 1/2 their current height of about 25 ft.
Hopefully they will rejuvenate new branches on healthy but short 1 ft stubs?
They enhance our property line appearance greatly.
Likely very short lived as for their very fast growth (makes them a weak soft wood) with many elbows or turns. Gorgeous when in their peak.

I live in central North Carolina. I planted my Corkscrew Willow in the spring of 2005. I received the tree through The Arbor Day Foundati...Read Moreon. The tree was nothing more than a long stick, barely a foot long. I planted it close to a downspout in my front yard. Needless to say, it has done very well in that location. The tree has reached over 15 feet tall already, and still growing. Everyone who sees it loves it. It gracefully arches over a portion of my driveway, providing shade and privacy to the front of my house. The tree grows very fast, and is a good choice in a "barren new subdivision". Ironically, the name of my subdivision has the word "Forest" in it, but is basically devoid of any native trees. It is a clear-cut into a natural wooded area. Anyway, if I had to re-plant a Corkscrew Willow, I would keep it away from any sidewalks or driveways as the roots seem to stay on or close to the surface of the ground. This will eventually cause problems with your concrete sidewalks or driveways because of the roots cracking the concrete. Otherwise, the tree is beautiful. Spring green leaf in the spring, and bright yellow leafs in the fall. In the winter, the corkscrew shape of the branches are really starkly beautiful, and I up light them for a striking display!
The tree does drop a few leafs and twigs, but not enough to rake. I have pruned the tree of it's lowest branches, and I think it will be a nice shaped tree. I highly recommend this tree. Enjoy!

From San Jose, California

In order to avoid invasive roots, I planted a curly willow in a large pot. It grows, but it doe...Read Mores not thrive. It may be possible that it does not get consistent moisture. If I can make it happy in the pot, it will be beautiful.

When we bought this house, the corkscrew willow was about 8' high and wide. I loved it even then and insisted that the patio, deck and p...Read Moreonds be installed around it, since I refused to chop it down. Seven years later, it is 20' high and wide and a centerpiece for our outdoor entertainment area.

The leaves emerge yellow-green and contorted then go dark green through summer. Fall color is yellow. The twisted branches and striped bark are beautiful all winter. Only some branches weep, and only gently.

This tree sways softly in every breeze. Expect smaller branches to clutter the area, or pick them up and incorporate into bouquets! Upcut to make room for a sitting area and enjoy the shade. Leave some weeping branches in place to soften the outline.