How to Grow a Weeping Willow Tree Using a Branch

Weeping willows are graceful trees that you can grow from a branch.

The weeping willow tree is a native to China. Weeping willows are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 4 through 8. It is a fast growing tree with cascading branches. Weeping willows love moisture, but they are short-lived, with a lifespan of about 30 years. It roots easily, so you can grow a weeping willow branch without having to buy a weeping willow tree at the nursery.

Things You'll Need

• Tiller or garden fork
• Knife
• Wire

Instructions

Ground Layering

1. Find a branch growing close to the ground in the early summer. The branch should bend but not break and the color should still be green.

2. Bend the branch until it touches the ground. Mark the section where the stem touches the ground -- there should be 2 or more inches of the tip sticking out of the ground.

3. Remove the grass and vegetation in the area you marked. Loosen the soil on top of the ground with a trowel.

4. Bend the branch down and make a mark on the stem where it touches the bare earth. Take a sharp knife and wound the branch in that area by making several cuts through the bark. Do not cut deep. Remove any leaves that are in that section also.

5. Lay the wounded branch onto the ground and cover that section of the branch with soil. If the stem does not stay against the ground, place a brick over the top to hold it. You can use two bent pieces of wire in the shape of a U. Insert one wire into the ground just before the mounded soil and place the other one just behind after the mounded soil.

6. Water the soil to keep it moist. Leave the branch growing this way until the early fall. Sever the stem from the parent plant. Now you can dig up the newly rooted weeping willow branch and plant it elsewhere.

Planting Willow Seedling

1. Till or dig up the soil to a depth of 18 inches. Amend the soil with 3 inches of compost. Dig a square pit that is 2 feet wide and 18 inches deep.

2. Cut a branch off the willow tree that is longer than 2 feet, but not more than 6 feet in length. The base of the stem should be between 1 and 2 inches. Remove the branch in February to early March when the ground no longer has a hard frost.

3. Cut off lower leaves and small stems from the bottom half of the branch and then insert it into the prepared site. In the center of the cleared area, insert the branch deep into the soil so half of the branch is in the soil.

4. Firm the soil around the branch to hold it upright. If you have problems with rabbits, place a tree wrap around the trunk of the weeping willow.

5. Water the soil to keep it evenly moist. Weeping willows like moisture. In a month, the branch will have formed roots.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not grow weeping willows near water or sewer lines. The roots will work their way into the lines and clog them.

References

• A Garden For The House: Plant Propagation
• Native Trees, Shrubs and Vines; William Cullina
• “American Horticultural Society A to Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants”; Christopher Brickell; 2004