This is one hot item that I never see available in Our Members Area, and usually just about every plant imaginable is available in our members are at deep wholesale prices. This is an item that would sell like crazy!
I picked up a Weeping Pussy Willow from a local wholesale growers a couple of years ago. Typically these trees are grafted onto another type of willow with a strong straight stem. But that takes time. First you have to grow out the tree that will be used as the root stock, then you have to bud or graft the weeping part on to that.
So I wondered how well they would do if I tried to grow them on their own roots. Suprisingly they were pretty easy to root as softwood cuttings, grew fast, but had to be staked. They have to be staked because the weeping part of this plant does not know how to grow upright. If they are not staked they would just lay on the ground and grow like a ground cover.
This is really more of a novelty item but they are fun to grow and it’s fun to train them in different ways.
Will they root as Hardwood Cuttings? I really don’t know. Most willows, especially Pussy Willows, are quite easy to grow as hardwood cuttings. But I don’t remember ever trying them that way. But I’d say it’s worth a try.
Weeping Pussy Willow loves full sun and being a willow should do fine in damp but not soggy area. Ironically, the one I had I planted on top of a bed that was pure sand and gravel and it did fine.
They do well in zones 4 through 8.
To See More Photos that I Posted at http://freeplants.com, click here.
Questions, comments, mean things to say? Post them below and I will respond.
I don’t have a comment, just the question. Thanks!
Mike: I`m curious. If you take a cutting or air layer a bush that say has a life span of about fifteen years,
and at the time of the cutting, the bush is nine years old, will the baby plant, being an exact duplicate
of the parent , have only six years to live, or does it get to have the full life expectancy of the species?
James,
No, I’m sure they young, tender cutting will live out it’s full life span of 15 years if that’s what’s normal for the plant. Of course most plants seem to live pretty forever.
I have a Corkscrew Willow and last year I trimmed off a few limbs to clean it up. It’s only about 12 ft tall. Young. Anyway I had a bucket with some water and fertilizer in it so I thought what the heck…put the cut limbs in it and see what happens. Well a few weeks later and just before winter I pulled those limbs out and they had massive roots! I planted them and they have new leaves on them now. I was amazed. Free Willow trees.
Dan,
That works with willows but few other plants. I’ve seen growers stick willow cuttings in a bucket of potting soil, willow cuttings more than 1/2″ in diameter and 48″ long.
Can’t believe those are in demand. We had a huge one in the yard where I grew up, probably 40’ tall. What a nasty messy tree! Constantly dropping branches, full of bugs and beetles. Nice to look at from a neighbor’s yard….
Bruce,
I don’t think a weeping pussy willow was 40 feet tall. They just don’t know how to grow upright, they have to be trained to get any height out of them at all. A regular pussy willow? Maybe, but even that seems tall, they typically grow as large shrubs.
Bruce,
Perhaps you’re recalling a weeping willow tree and not pussy willow.
Suzy,
That’s what I thought as well.
I planted a pussy willow tree in my rental back yard in Virginia. I let the branches lay on the ground when I mulched in the spring. In the fall I wanted to cut back the branches on the ground. To my surprise 2 had roots. I gave away the cuttings & moved from the area so I don’t know what happened to the cuttings. The tree I planted was removed by the property owner.
My back yard is very wet and has standing water with significant rainfall. I love curly willow and pussy willow and want to use them to hopefully utilize some of the water in my wet areas. Everything I find online says keep away from driveways, foundations and water lines but never a distance recommendation. I have an above ground septic system (sand mound) and the water lays a few feet behind it. Any guidance is appreciated.
Lucy,
I for sure would keep any kind of tree, especially a willow tree, away from the septic system. How far away? Most trees and plants have roots that extend out to the edge of the drip line of the tree, but not much further than that. Around a septic system? I would allow a lot more distance than that.
Hi Mike!
I’m presently growing peach seedlings (not sure of variety) that won’t be grafted. I grew dozens of Suncrest peach seedlings in Colorado (where I first found out about YOU!). They grew like FIENDS and were blooming and producing peaches by their fourth or fifth year. The one I planted by the irrigation ditch had huge, beautiful peaches every year – but we sold the property the first year they bore, and i never got to taste any of them.
I’m also growing a Japanese fantail willow (Salix sachalinensis) ‘Sekka’ from cuttings – VERY easy to grow that way, and they grow rapidly. Sadly, they don’t do well under black walnuts, which I have lots of, so this willow is growing in my mom’s garden, 3.5 miles away. It’s covered with catkins right now. Have you ever grown this willow? I’ll be taking a few cuttings this year and starting them in pots. Here are pictures: http://www.sierraflowerfinder.com/en/d/fantail-willow/6445
This spring is proving to be very exciting – I have lots of different seeds planted last fall that should be sprouting any time now, including 206 germinated Japanese maple seeds I planted in boxes last Sunday, and lots of assorted cuttings that are now starting to leaf out. You have been quite the inspiration to me! I don’t have a big setup – strictly small-scale for now, but it’s keeping me busy, along with a lot of other major stuff – taking care of my elderly parents being the biggest one. I’m looking forward to every day, going out to check my plants to see what progress they’re making!
Thanks Mike!
Becky Sewell, Cayuga, NY
Becky,
I have not grown the Fantail Willow but it looks like it could be fun. When you have some I’d love to buy a few.