SCIENTIFIC NAME: Salix x blanda

COMMON NAME: Wisconsin Weeping Willow

GARDEN SIZE: 30-50 feet tall x 30-40 feet wide

GROWTH RATE: Rapid

USDA ZONE: 4-8

EXPOSURE: Full sun, Partial shade

WATER & SOIL: Prefers moist, acidic soils but tolerates alkaline soils; good drainage, occasional flooding, wet conditions

HABIT (FORM): Broad, Rounded, Weeping; medium-sized tree with pendulous branches

FOLIAGE: Deciduous; alternate leaf arrangement, dark green, lanceolate, serrated leaves with blunt teeth; autumn foliage not ornamentally significant

FLOWERS: Bottle-brush like, but not ornamentally important

PLANT ORIGIN: Hybrid of Salix babylonica and Salix pentandra

WILDLIFE SUPPORT: May provide some nesting sites and shelter for birds and small mammals, but does not serve as much of a food source for local insects and wildlife.

FERTILIZING: May apply organic compost in the spring.

PRUNING: Prune to remove heavy branches to prevent breakage, but otherwise no pruning is necessary. If shaping is desired, willows may be trimmed during dormancy.

TOXICITY FLAGS: Can be mildly toxic to pets (salicylic acid)

USES: Specimen tree, erosion control on slopes, rain garden, riparian areas