Willow 'Golden Weeping'

Willow 'Golden Weeping'

Quebec Multiplants

$159.99
Title

Imagine a majestic, sweeping silhouette that brings a sense of timeless elegance to your landscape. This iconic willow is defined by its long, graceful golden branchlets that cascade like a shimmering waterfall toward the ground. In spring and summer, it is draped in a lush curtain of narrow, lance-shaped green leaves that dance in the slightest breeze, creating a tranquil and ethereal atmosphere. As winter approaches, the tree reveals its most striking feature: brilliant golden-yellow twigs that provide a warm, glowing contrast against a stark winter sky.
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Plant Details

Mature Size:

50' H x 50' W

Zone:

4-8

Watering:

High

Foliage Type:

Deciduous

Growth Rate:

Fast

Light:

Full Sun/Partial Shade

Plant Profile

Common Names:

Golden Weeping Willow, Niobe Weeping Willow, White Willow

Scientific Name:

Salix alba 'Tristis'

Type:

Ornamental Shade Tree

Growth Details:

  • Mature Size: Typically reaches 50–75 feet tall and wide.
  • Growth Habit: Upright main branches with long, pendulous branchlets.
  • Form: Broad, open, rounded crown.
  • Growth Rate: Fast-growing, often adding several feet of height per year.
  • Longevity: Relatively short-lived for a tree, typically 30–50 years.

Environmental Needs:

  • Exposure: Full sun is preferred for best color and growth.
  • Soil Preferences: Thrives in loamy, nutrient-rich soil that retains moisture.
  • Soil Tolerance: Highly adaptable to various soil types including clay, sand, and silt; tolerates a wide pH range (4.5–8.0).
  • Watering: Needs frequent watering; highly tolerant of standing water and flood-prone areas.

Special Features:

Fast-growing for quick shade; excellent for erosion control near water bodies. It is notably deer-tolerant.
Care Guide

Ornamental & Landscape Value

Seasonal Interest:

  • Bloom: Non-showy yellow-green catkins appear in mid-spring (April–May).
  • Fall Colour: Glossy green leaves turn a pale to golden-yellow.
  • Bark: Furrowed grey-brown bark on the trunk with brilliant golden-yellow young stems.
  • Evergreen Interest: None (deciduous), though the golden twigs provide exceptional winter architecture.

Garden Value:

A spectacular specimen tree primarily valued for its dramatic weeping form. It is ideal for large properties, park-like settings, and for stabilization near ponds or streams where its reflection adds a double visual benefit.

Wildlife & Human Value:

  • Wildlife Value: Attracts various birds for nesting and insect pollinators to its catkins.
  • Human Value: Provides expansive shade and serves as a classic landscape focal point. Historically, the bark has medicinal associations due to its salicin content.

Planting & Care Guide

Planting Considerations:

  • Best Time To Plant: Fall is ideal to allow roots to establish before heat sets in.
  • Spacing: Requires significant space; plant at least 50 feet away from other structures or trees.
  • Location Tips: Avoid planting near houses, driveways, or underground utility lines (sewer/water) due to its aggressive, moisture-seeking roots and brittle wood prone to breakage.

Care:

  • Light Requirements: Best in full sun but can tolerate partial shade.
  • Moisture Requirements: Requires consistently moist to wet soil; do not allow the soil to dry out completely.
  • Maintenance: High maintenance; requires regular pruning in late winter to early spring to remove dead or damaged wood and maintain its shape.
  • Fertilization: Generally not required if planted in rich soil, but a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer can be applied in early spring to support rapid growth.

Tolerances:

Tolerates wet soil, clay, standing water, and urban pollution.

Tips For Success:

Apply a thick layer of mulch around the base to conserve moisture and regulate soil temperature. Regularly clear fallen twigs and debris to prevent pest buildup. Provide supplemental water during periods of drought.
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