| Positive | lkz5ia | On Jul 18, 2008, lkz5ia from Denison, IA
(Zone 5b) wrote:I call this the Burgess hybrid willow, because that's where I bought it from, and since I'm not going to test its genetics to truly know whether or not its an austree. But in reality, most of the hybrid willows offered through various outlets are no different than the austree. They just can't use the austree name, so they just use the common name 'hybrid willow'. I also have the ameri-willow, and it is no different looking than this hybrid. I've seen austrees, and they are no different than these either.
As you can see in my pics, while young, the hybrid willow tends to be pretty slender. I usually train them to one trunk, because multiple trunks just weaken the structure. They are known to be hybrids of Salix alba x Matsudana.
These trees thrive in excessive moisture. Last year, I experimented with that idea to the extreme. I wanted an aquatree, and with that idea, I planted a hybrid willow in 7 ft deep water and 5ft deep water. They survived, but as you can see from a couple of my pics, it is not capable of sending out a real root structure, therefore, no way of anchoring itself in soil that was deprived of oxygen.
These trees are at their best right along a stream or pond. If grown in other locations, they need mulch and/or irrigation to achieve exceptional growth rates. They will suffer from various ailments if grown in dry soil and will grow less than 5 feet a year.
These hybrids have many uses, but one should never plant them close to a house. They are at their finest, far away from a house. Anybody selling these trees and promoting them to shade your house with them is just after the money. As time goes on, I'll keep this plant file updated with pics, and any other observations worthy of note. I started growing hybrid willows in 2000. |
