Preferred Willow Trees for Western North Carolina

• Willows are fast-growing, short-lived, ornamental trees that need plenty of space. Their extensive roots can be a blessing or a curse -- a blessing if you need to stabilize large areas of soil, and a curse if you have clay sewer pipes they can creep into. Plant willow trees near ponds or streams whenever possible, and avoid planting them over water pipes or under power lines. Western North Caroline falls in USDA Hardiness Zones 6 and 7, making it a perfect place for growing many types of willow.

Babylon Willow

• Plant Babylon weeping willow (Salix babylonica) in swampy or low-lying areas. It is one of the few trees that will tolerate "wet feet." This medium-sized willow, only reaches a height of 30 to 40 feet, making it easier to manage in the yard. Foliage is dark green on the surface, and light green underneath, giving it added visual interest when North Carolina breezes blow. Twigs can root easily from cuttings stuck in marshy soil. Babylon willow is ideal as an ornamental planting near a pond or larger water feature, and can help prevent bank erosion.

White Willow

• Try white Willow (Salix alba) if you have a large piece of wetland in western North Carolina. This tree develops develops a thick trunk, 5 to 8 feet in diameter, and will reach a height of 60 to 100 feet in its brief life of 30 to 40 years. Huge branches develop separate crowns of weeping foliage, giving it the appearance of several domes. Leaves are narrow, long and have whitish undersides. White willow creates a focal point best seen from a distance, and has an enormous root system that can stabilize large areas of eroding soil, long after the tree itself is gone.

Wisconsin Willow

• Plant Wisconsin willow (Salix x blanda) for twigs that remain yellow in winter and offer some of the earliest leaves in North Carolina's spring. Wisconsin willow is a medium-sized, fast growing willow with a graceful, weeping form that reaches a height and spread of 40 to 50 feet. Trailing branches turn bright yellow just before leaves bud. Leaves are a soft green, top and bottom, and the tree is hardy in all parts of North Carolina.

Shining Willow

• Add a shining willow (Salix lucida) to smaller yards and landscapes in western North Carolina. It grows to a height and spread of just 20 feet. It is a tough little tree, for all its delicate appearance. The bark of young shining willows is shiny, brownish-green, and mature leaves also have a sheen on both sides that gives the tree its name. Prune shining willows early in their lives to prevent multiple trunks and a scruffy appearance.