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Weeping Willow looks dead at the top

14 years ago

Hi there!

I bought a weeping willing two summers ago. It is about 8-10 feet tall. Last spring it came in beautiful and grew quite a bit. This spring, from the bottom about half way up it grew back, but the entire top is bare like it is still dormant. We are in Eastern NC zone 7 and there aren't even any sprouts at the top. I did read in another forum that I should prune it, will that help? Is there something wrong with it? It is planted near a ditch & we have had a lot of rain this spring, so I know it has plenty of water. Help!

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Comments (4)

Embothrium
14 years ago
Possibly it actually got too wet. Otherwise, willows are disease-susceptible. Your state Extension Service might be able to tell you if it has a canker, blight or other problem.
cljahn75
Original Author
14 years ago
Do you think it will help to cut off the dead stuff at the top and let the bottom grow?
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Could this be a grafted tree? It does sound as if the top of the tree is dead or dying. Could you post a picture of it?
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How much water is it getting? It should still be getting the equivalent of an inch of rain per week. If it hasn't been raining, then you need to soak it, if it has been raining, could it be too wet (which I think is HARD to do to willows!)? I would dig down next to the root ball, at least 4 inches and see what the ground is like for moisture. IF it is dry, WATER it well, and continue to monitor it and water as needed. If the soil is oozing with water, then the tree needs better drainage - but it may have grown enough that digging it up and replanting it higher in the ground may not be an option. If any of the branches are still pretty healthy looking, I think I would try to take some cuttings - willows root pretty easily, and this way, you would have an understudy waiting in the wings, as it were, should worse come to worst.
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get a pic of the trunk.. and a leaf.. looks like cherry to me also .. pinky white flowers in spring???? if so.. it was grafted onto a 4 to 6 foot standard.. at the top ... you know the weeping part.. the upward part.. is a sucker from the standard ... it will never weep ... get rid of it.. its planted too close to the house.. even for the weeper ... plant a new one out at about the rock line.. and while you are removing things.. get rid of that burning bush.. which is invasive in many areas.. and again.. planted too close to the house ... good luck!!! ken
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Sorry, but I don't have an answer. The same thing happened to mine a few years ago and it eventually died. Moisture wasn't a factor in it's demise and examination of the roots provided no clue. The same thing happened to 2 of my 3 Japanese Maple bonsai's this spring (all are in the same area), but they are slowly recovering and producing new foliage. Let's hope it's a temporary malfunction and not a permanent one! Rb
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victor5
14 years ago
Curly Willows do this all of the time. They grow so quickly, that much of the growth does not get hardened off prior to winter and these areas die back and turn black. Just prune back to the green and watch the tree grow all over again this year.
I have several Nishiki willows that I cut back severely to the older wood, and by the end of summer, they will have grown back 3-5 ft with their beautiful white and green leaves. A sight to behold.
Willows always die back some in cold weather and this does not injure the tree.
Yogesh Gupta
last year
I live in Ohio zone 6. My weeping will leaved out from bottom to top. This year, it took too long. I blame it on excessive rain storms at the end of April. Even my oak trees are having trouble leaving out.

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