There are around 400 different varieties of willow trees (part of the salix genus) scattered all around the Northern hemisphere. They originated in China but now can be found in nurseries all over. These trees are incredibly easy to grow, but how long does it take to grow a willow tree?
Willow trees are a very fast-growing species, some will grow 6 to 9 feet in a single growing season. They can be grown easily from seeds or even cuttings when planted in damp, rich soil. Willow trees can reach their full height of about 30 to 50 feet in height in as few as 15 to 20 years.
Let’s take a stroll through the willow tree timeline. We’ll go over how to grow them from seeds, cuttings, or saplings and what to expect every step of the way. Along the way, we will also go over best growth practices and some pests that may want to snack on your willow trees.
How Quickly Does A Willow Tree Grow?
Most willows are incredibly fast-growing trees that can grow as much as 10 feet in a single year. If you’re looking for a tree that will provide ample shade in the least amount of time, you can’t go wrong with willows.
With so many varieties though, you can find smaller shrubs that grow slower. Of course, you may choose the iconic weeping willow that will hit heights of 30 to 50 feet in a very short time. At least when it relates to trees.
Even the seeds grow fast. Some willow seeds will germinate in 12 to 24 hours when they find damp, rich soil. This quick germination means the seeds only stay viable for a short period.
When seeds are stored, after 10 days they quickly lose viability. The best way to start your own willow trees is to collect the seeds yourself or propagate them from cuttings.
Full Timeline Of A Willow–From Seed To Full-Grown Tree
Let’s say you really want to start a willow tree from seeds, first, you need to collect them before they fall to the ground. Willow seeds tend to ripen between April and July. When the pods pop open, cotton-like seeds are dispersed by the wind.
You want to collect the seeds before they have a chance of floating to the next county. When the seed pod changes to a yellow color from green, cut them off and store them in a brown paper grocery bag.
This helps to “ripen” the seeds while keeping them contained. If you absolutely must store them before planting, you can put them in a plastic container with only slightly damp sand.
According to Washington State University, willow seeds lose viability quickly if they are not refrigerated. While it’s not recommended to store willow seeds, they can be held for up to 6 weeks if they are stored in sealed containers.
Cuttings, on the other hand, can be stored for a few months if they are kept in moist sawdust, or wrapped in damp paper towels.
The sooner you can plant the willow seeds, the better. You don’t need to scarify them, and you don’t need to soak them like other seeds. You don’t even have to let them dry out before you can use them.
These seeds are ready to go as soon as they pop out of the pods.
How To Collect Willow Tree Cuttings
Cuttings from willow trees root very easily. You can root them in a moist growing medium or even straight in the water.
First, though, you need to collect your cuttings. Wait until late winter or early spring, before the tree emerges from dormancy and cut some branches that are about half an inch in diameter.
A good pair of garden shears like these Gonicc 8″ Professional Premium Titanium Bypass Pruning Shears will make collecting your cuttings easy. It’s good to use a sharp pair of shears to prevent secondary injury to the tree.
Next, trim these branches into smaller, easier-to-handle sections. You’ll want pieces about 1 foot to 18 inches long. Now you can place them in a container with water and wait for the roots to grow.
Be sure you change the water so it doesn’t become stagnant about once per week. In 3 to 4 weeks you should start seeing new roots appear. When the stalks have a sound root system, gently plant them in a mixture of commercial potting soil and sand or peat moss.
You can also plant the newly cut stalks into the potting mix and let them grow from there. Be sure to mix in a handful or two of sand or peat moss per gallon of soil for extra drainage and to allow the roots to grow.
Keep the soil moist but not soggy and you’ll have a few willow saplings in no time.
First Days To Year One
You’ll want to keep your germinating seeds or rooting stock indoors until the temperatures outside are consistently above freezing. Put them in a sunny room where they get plenty of indirect sunlight. Too much sunlight right off the bat could damage them.
Keep the soil slightly moist and when the seedlings reach about 6 inches in height, transfer them to a 1-gallon pot with good-quality potting soil. Now you can increase the sunlight they get and put them outside. They still aren’t ready for full sun, but they will do well in a shady area with dappled sunlight.
When To Plant Cuttings Outside
Follow the same steps outlined above for increasing the sunlight your cuttings receive. Over a few weeks, gradually increase the sunlight they receive until they are getting full sun. Once they are acclimated to full sunlight, you can plant them in the ground.
Assuming you got your cutting in late winter to early spring, it should still be spring when you plant the cuttings. If you’re approaching summer, you may want to wait until the following spring to plant them outside.
A hot, dry summer could quickly scorch and/or dry out your cuttings, leaving you to start over.
When To Plant Your Seedlings Outside
After you collect the willow seeds in early to mid-summer, in only a few weeks to a few months you should have a nice willow sapling growing in a 1-gallon pot. While most trees do well getting planted in the fall, you should wait until spring to plant willow saplings.
Once the threat of frost has evaporated, you can plant your willow outdoors. Once you have your willow sapling in its permanent spot, be sure to water it frequently for the first year.
Keep Your Willow Tree Watered
Willow trees love water. It’s one of the reasons they can grow so quickly. For the first year, you will need to water your willow sapling frequently.
Be sure to give your willow sapling a deep watering weekly for the first year. This is doubly important during the hot summer months when your willow tree could quickly dry out.
You don’t want your willow tree floating in the water, but be wary of the soil drying out. If it does not get enough water it will start dropping leaves early. Willow trees don’t lose too many leaves until autumn.
If you are noticing leaf drop, especially during summer, increase your watering schedule. Adding a 2 to 3-inch layer of mulch around your tree is a great way to keep moisture in the ground and protect your newly growing sapling.
Willow Trees From Year 2 Through Year 5 (The Adolescent Years)
After the formative first year of your willow tree’s life, the biggest danger is over. Now you can scale back on watering your tree. The roots should be sprawling enough to get enough water for themselves.
Of course, if your area is hit by a drought, you’ll need to water your willow occasionally to keep it healthy. Be sure to water the willow tree when the soil dries out, especially if you start to see premature leaf drop.
Keep a thick layer of mulch around your willow tree, but be sure to keep it away from the trunk. Leave a few inches clear of mulch around the trunk, because this could cause the tree to start to root or introduce illness.
Most willow trees don’t need supplemental fertilizer, but if it’s starting to look weak, or the leaves appear drab instead of a vibrant green you can add a little fertilizer. Be sure to use an even 10-10-10 fertilizer such as Southern Ag 10-10-10 – All-purpose Granular Fertilizer.
This even fertilizer is perfect for your willow trees as it feeds from the roots to the leaves. Spread about half a cup underneath the canopy of the tree in the spring.
During these early years, your willow tree should shoot up into the sky, and will probably reach heights around 20 to 30 feet.
Willow Trees Five Years To Ten Years
Part of that care is proper pruning. Willow trees can get very thick and unruly. When the canopy is too thick, the air isn’t able to circulate which can lead to fungus growth.
Plan on pruning your willow tree during late winter or early spring. A lot of sap can ooze out if you prune during the summer which could weaken the tree and introduce pests.
What To Prune Off Your Willow
In the instance of weeping willow trees, prune off any branches that are touching the ground. How high you want to trim them is up to you, but generally, you want to keep branches 3 to 4 feet off the ground.
Look for any damaged, dried-out, or brittle branches and cut them out. Any limbs that are rubbing against each other need to be cut away too. The rubbing can open wounds that will attract bugs and sickness in the tree.
Along with branches that rub against each other, trim out any branches that are intertwined together. While they may not be rubbing yet, it’s only a matter of time before they do, so go ahead and remove the possibility.
Trim off any suckers from the main trunk of the tree, and get rid of water sprouts. Water sprouts are branches on tree branches that grow straight up from the limb.
The reason you want to get rid of water sprouts is they grow incredibly fast, and will often break off, or let water pool up on the branch. Both can decrease the health of your tree.
Willow trees, especially the weeping variety, develop what is called lateral growths. These are extra buds or branches that stick out from the side of the trunk and leading branches.
If you let these go, the tree canopy can become very dense and restrict airflow. Snip these off, or you can even pinch the buds off while they are young and soft.
Willow Trees Ten Years And Beyond
Near about the 10-year mark you should start to see flowers that eventually lead to seed pods. The flowers on willow trees are called catkins, and there are both male and female willow trees.
These flowers look similar to caterpillars. Some willow trees are wind pollinated, while others produce nectar to attract pollinators.
When you plant willow trees you are ultimately helping out pollinators such as honeybees, butterflies, and moths. You may see a plethora of buzzing activity around your willow trees between April and May.
Once the flowers are pollinated they will begin to create seed pods. You may be able to grow new willow trees from these pods but it’s best to wait until your willow tree has seeded a few times. Older trees tend to make more viable seeds.
Seed production continues after 10 years and reaches peak production around 25 years old and then starts to decline.
Willow trees are very fast-growing trees that typically last around 30 years in the wild. In your landscape, with proper care, they may last over 50 years.
Possible Willow Tree Pests
According to the University of Kentucky Department of Entomology, some pests that are attracted to willow trees include:
- Fall webworms
- Willow leaf beetles
- Willow sawflies
- Mourning cloak caterpillar
- Cottonwood leaf beetle
- Aphids
- Cottony cushion scale
- Carpenter worms
- Cottonwood borer
None of these pests are truly life-threatening to willow trees. The most damage they do is cosmetic, although some of the borers can cause internal structural damage if their populations go unchecked.
Aphids and scale can attract ants and other pests because they secrete a sticky, waxy substance called honeydew. The ants eat this secretion and defend the aphids from other insects. The honeydew can also cause black sooty mold.
Aphid control isn’t difficult, but it may require some specialized techniques to get rid of them. For more information on controlling aphids, check out this post here, 11 scents that aphids hate.
Keeping your trees healthy and well cared for is the best defense against insect and fungal pests. Healthy trees are able to fight off these attacks and thrive afterward, plus, most insects are attracted to weakened trees, just like wolves and predatory animals go after the weak and the old.
Where Should You Plant Willow Trees?
Contrary to popular belief, you shouldn’t plant willow trees directly in areas that constantly have standing water. Though these trees love water, they will suffer if planted in perpetually wet soil.
If you’re wanting to help get rid of the low-lying puddles, plant a weeping willow near these areas, but keep it on an elevated area that has good drainage. The willow’s roots will eventually be drawn to the low-lying areas.
We have an article on the 8 most common places willow trees grow if you are interested in doing some more research.
Willow Trees Need Full Sun
Along with needing a lot of water, these trees require at least 8 hours of sunlight a day. Plant them in areas that receive plenty of light, otherwise, they will be stunted and won’t look as healthy.
Keep Willow Trees Away From Septic And Other Water Lines
Willow trees are known for having water-seeking roots, and they can find tiny cracks in pipes and wiggle their way inside. Next thing you know, you have a clogged drain or damaged supply lines because the roots have integrated the pipes.
To prevent this, be sure to plant willow trees at least 35 feet away from any possible water lines. Although to be safe, I would still keep willow trees 50 feet away for added protection.
If you have a lake or pond on your property the perfect place to plant weeping willow trees is near a body of water. For more information on planting willow trees near water, check out this article on why you should plant weeping willows near water.
Keep Willow Trees Away From Your House
While you never want to plant trees, especially very tall trees near your house, this is especially true of willow trees. Since they are so fast-growing, this makes the wood weak, and susceptible to breakage.
Be sure to put at least 50 feet of space between your structures and willow trees. This will protect you from falling trees, branches, and searching, invasive roots.
Also, since the roots on willow trees are rather shallow, don’t plant them close to driveways, walkways, or other hardscapes. The roots could raise concrete, pavers, or asphalt and cause unsightly cracks.
How Far Should You Space Multiple Willow Trees?
Are you looking for a cluster of willow trees, a line of them, or do you want a naturalized area around a small pond? When planting willow trees together you should space them about 20 to 30 feet apart from each other.
It really depends on the variety of willow trees. Weeping willows can spread up to 50 feet wide, so they need at least 30 feet between each other, but ideally a little more space.
Keep in mind how wide the canopy will grow at full maturity so you don’t plant them so close that they eventually crowd each other. There are also certain plants you should not grow under your willow tree.
Wrapping It Up
Now that you know how to grow your own willow trees, and how easy it is to do so, get outside and start planting. Once you have your willow trees towering above you, check out the best plants to grow under your willow tree.
Willow trees are beautiful, very fast-growing trees that can liven up a dull yard and possibly even increase the value of your property. You can start them from seeds or cuttings and in about a decade you’ve got a large shade tree.
References:
Morgenson, Greg. “Vegetative propagation of poplar and willow.” Proceedings, Intermountain Forest Nursery Association: August 12-16, 1991, Park City, Utah 211 (1992): 84. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=NlVULroUHvEC&oi=fnd&pg=PA84&dq=willow+tree+propagation&ots=ITJwUzJmz3&sig=9xbcKZl5O8It4dWnHfJ3_OdD7WQ#v=onepage&q=willow%20tree%20propagation&f=false
Young, James A., and Charlie D. Clements. “Seed germination of willow species from a desert riparian ecosystem.” Rangeland Ecology & Management/Journal of Range Management Archives 56.5 (2003): 496-500. https://journals.uair.arizona.edu/index.php/jrm/article/download/9833/9445
COLLINS, C. MATILDA, RUI G. ROSADO, and SIMON R. LEATHER. “The impact of the aphids Tuberolachnus salignus and Pterocomma salicis on willow trees.” Annals of Applied Biology 138.2 (2001): 133-140. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1744-7348.2001.tb00095.x
