You might want to do research on the pros and cons of having this tree. It is a cottonwood tree in reality, and is very messy. It's really bad on people who have allergies - it blows 'cotton/seeds' that covers everything, plus, it breaks limbs in a moderate wind - not really a desirable tree to have, and will cost a lot of money if you decide to have it removed.

there is a pest forum ... those peeps are pretty good .... and dont necessarly visit here .... otherwise ....DO NOT DO ANYTHING BEYOND THE WATER... UNTIL YOU PROPERLY ID THE PROBLEM.... down here in adrian ... we are in week 10 to 12 of extreme sever drought .... nearly every tree on my 5 acres ... has yellowing leaves... looks wilted ... and all are stressed ... you can not convince me.. that the bug is adding anything to that equation ... by what you describe alone .. also ... admit it.. the garden season is ending ... it will be september by monday ... within a month.. your trees will be neked .... again .. late season.. plus drought ... but bottom line ... nearly NEVER do bugs kill a tree ... and frankly ... at this time of year.. its a waste of money ... and harmful to mother nature to waste time and $$$ on chemicals .... the only proper recommendation... this late in the season.. would be a quick call to your local extension office... and perhaps a visit with a specimen ... to properly ID the problem .... IMHO .... spraying it down with a good blast of the hose... will cause no harm ... help alleviate the drought ... and probably reduce the population .... i suspect an aphid.. which give off honeydew .... which ants 'milk' .. so dont freak out if you see ants also ... i highly doubt you will lose a tree ... nor will there be any problem next year .. plagues come.. plagues go ... and our darn cold winters take care of most population explosions... recall the imported ladybug plague of a few years back... it drove us insane that fall .. and a bit the following spring.. and i havent seen more than a few in the years since ... where are you in MI? good luck ken

I just had to look up this tree since I have never heard of it! It appears to be a hybrid of several willows but originally from Australia, hence the common name. I found the below on the web. I am sure you can check more sites reference to burning these trees, but based on what I found, you would be taking a risk. "When it comes to selecting firewood, wood that comes from willow trees is among the least desirable of all firewoods. Willow produces a low amount of heat and burns very quickly compared to oak or maple firewood. Using willow in a stove can lead to a buildup of creosote in the stove pipe that can cause a chimney fire." Read more: Is Willow Tree Wood Good for Burning? : eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_7979941_willow-tree-wood-good-burning.html#ixzz1RnnAfZSV

radock03, A few questions first. How long and wide an area are we talking about? What's your soil type and elevation? Other than screening, what do you want the plants do (edible fruit, wildlife habitat, etc.)? Are you looking for strictly evergreen/conifer or would a mix with deciduous plants be ok? Will you be able to water the trees/shrubs at planting and once a week during the growing season till established, which might be a year or longer? Would you be able to water the new plantings during a dry winter? Not an issue this year, but in the future it might be. Fast growing usually equals weak-wooded, which might be an issue if this is an open, windy area. Wind and heavy snow can damage plants, particularly fast growing plants. I'd steer clear of a monoculture (all one plant type). If water access is an issue, it will limit your selections. Sorry for the multiple questions. I don't want to start making suggestions till I know a bit more about your goals. If you're ok with starting with small plants, CSU recently sent out their tree order forms. This would be a great opportunity to try out some native plants and you could get 25 - 50 seedlings for the price of one tree at your local nursery. They also have one gallon trees for $9. I'll include links below with the order form, current available inventory and a link to your local conservation district. CSU will ship the trees to you, or you can get an order form from the El Paso/Woodland Park District and pick up trees from their location. CSU Tree Order info. Updated inventory list El Paso County Conservation District If you are looking for larger plants, more instant gratification, the info above might not interest you, but I thought it would be a good starting point. Barb