I have a willow just like that, and planted another one at another property I used to own. It was obvious that both of mine were growing toward light, and although they don't appear to have overhead shade, they are shaded to one side by a much larger tree and it blocks the sun on some branches during parts of the day. Are you sure you aren't having that situation?

When you read about a plant and it says it's good for erosion control, will naturalize, and spreads by root suckers, you know that this plant is going to spread its wings no matter what. Remember that each of those suckers turns into its own shrub and that will also want to spread. And they tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and so on, and so on. I had suckering Evans Cherry trees - I had to take them out completely and spray roundup for 3 years to get rid of all the suckering wanna-be new trees. I have suckering chokecherries that require at least annual applications of roundup to control the spread. Be careful and at the very least give it the crappiest soil you have in your yard. Or take it back, get a refund and buy a really nice new daylily instead.

In Jax, about four or five months. Leaves are already starting to thin out now. The new green will show up in early March.

you have a lot of expectations for a bare stick stuck in the ground just a few months ago ... what toro said .. a trees roots can be twice the size of the tree you see above .. if you mull that long enough ... you will understand where the work is being done ... ken