http://oikostreecrops.com/store/product.asp?cookiecheck=yes&numRecordPosition=3&P_ID=384&strPageHistory=cat&strKeywords=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=96 "Prairie Cascade Willow Salix pentaphyllum 'Prairie Cascade' A fast growing hybrid willow from Morden Research Station in Manitoba. A smaller form of willow, Prairie Cascade has golden-yellow stems and glossy leaves and is more disease and insect resistant. Its smaller size (35-45') makes it a good choice for those of us who want a weeping willow, but have smaller yards with less space. One of the best landscape willows. Can be limbed up real easy to form a straight trunk. Average growth rate of 3-5 ft. per year. I like this selection better than the "zippy" Australian clones because the foliage is darker and much more dense. Hardiness -40 °F." http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pda_edfd.html "his is a weeping deciduous tree, 35'-45' tall and wide, with yellowish-brown shoots. Leaves are elliptic, very shiny, medium green above, up to 5" long. 'Prairie Cascade' is a hybrid of S. pentandra x S.'Blanda', and does not bear catkins. A beautiful specimen by water, but don't plant this tree anywhere near a septic system or its lines or you and the Roto-Rooter man will know each other on a first name basis." http://www.mnpower.com/treebook/fact102.html "Weeping growth habit with fine textured branches. Bright yellow color of young stems. Description: Height: 50-70' Width: 30-50' Hardiness Zone: 3b Weeping Willows are large round to wide-spreading trees with slender, pendulous branches. New shoots are yellow to yellow-green in color. Leaves are very narrow and 2-4" long. Foliage emerges very early in the spring and remains on the tree late into the fall. They grow very rapidly. Because of their size and pendulous habit, they are best used only on large properties. Willows hybridize readily and their precise identification can be quite confusing. Requirements and Culture: Not demanding of site conditions. Prefer ample moisture and are often found along waterways. Branches break readily so pruning and clean up is frequently required. Limitations: Tree size and form and brittle branches limit usefulness on small properties. Species and Selected Cultivars: S. alba `Tristis' - is the common Golden Weeping Willow. It is a large tree. Sometimes sold as `Niobe'. `Prairie Cascade' - was developed at the Experiment Station in Morden, Manitoba Canada. It is a hybrid combining the form of the Weeping Willow with the glossy foliage of the Laurel Willow." http://www.umanitoba.ca/afs/plant_science/courses/PLNT0790/woodyplantsnotes/woody_plantsr_s.html "Salix hybrid 'Prairie Cascade' (Prairie Cascade Willow) Native Habitat / Origin. 'Prairie Cascade' is a hybrid resulting from a cross between Salix alba var. tristis (for the weeping habit) and Salix pentandra (for cold hardiness). Developed and introduced by Wilbert Ronald at the Agriculture Canada Research Centre, Morden, Manitoba in 1981. Hardiness zone. Zone 3a. Shade tolerance. Relatively intolerant. Habit and size. Medium tree, 12 to 15 m tall and wide, round, with cascading, pendulous branches, less so in winter. It grows as a multi-stemmed plant. Fast growth rate. Medium-fine texture in winter; medium to medium-fine texture in summer. Leaves. Leaves are shiny, dark green, alternate, simple, elliptic-lanceolate to ovate, acuminate tips, rounded base, serrulate margins. Flowers. Female clone. Flowers occur in catkins, borne on short, leafy, axillary shoots. Not very showy. Fruits are small capsules that split into two halves when mature to reveal hairy seeds. Culture. 'Prairie Cascade' has grown well at the University of Manitoba through difficult winters and with no supplementary irrigation. Landscape value. Valued for its yellow twigs and cascading form, given that weeping willows are not generally hardy enough for the prairies. It is useful for large properties, parks, and golf courses. Willows have extensive root systems and are not usually recommended for residential properties. May suffer winter die-back." Prairie Cascade is a hybrid resulting from a cross between Salix alba var. tristis and Salix pentandra. Mine is not weeping yet but shooting straight up up and far away high up there.

Not sure if you are aware, but tri-color beech's roots grow very close to the surface, so, to optimize its growth and long-term survival, do not grow anything within its drip line. Horticulture professor recommended to me (my tri-color beech is on their class tour) that I also try not to walk around in its bed, so as not to damage the roots, especially since tri-color beeches can be difficult to keep alive and thriving.

The two main faults I have with Beeches is that they have no Fall color. Brown, to me, is no Fall color. Plus it dribbles leaves all winter long. Who wants to rake leaves in the Spring when the crocus are coming up? I like Fall with a definite ending. All that aside, I have a Tricolor Beech. Here's a picture of a friend, Denise, bending over pulling a weed. I couldn't resist taking a picture. ;-) Mike

Do not trim off any bottom branches. This tends to encourage taller growth and the trunk is not thick/strong enough to support it. Wait several years until the trunk is thicker. However, I agree that this young tree is becoming top heavy. HERE is a diagram for pruning a young tree. You want to end up with a semi pyramidal shape. You need to determine which of the highest branches is the "leader" and remove any directly competing branch. Other branches that are also growing strongly should be shortened. In the photo below I have highlighted in white what I think is the main trunk up to where it splits. Keep whichever of the sides above the split that is the straightest and strongest growing, and cut off the other. You can shorten any other small branches, but make sure to leave uncut the best growing tip. The right side photo shows a couple of branches highlighted orange. These need to be cut back by about 1/3 so they are shorter than the "leader". Don't remove them; just trim them back. Trim any other branches that seem too long, so the tree looks balanced. Be sure to disinfect your cutting tools before pruning, and afterwards seal the cut ends with paint. Beech trees are susceptible to fungal infections.