Native Plants
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Wednesday - June 11, 2008
From: Ada, OH
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Aging non-native weeping willow in Ohio
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
We had a weeping willow now for about 15 years and it was doing fine until this summer. It has new branches sort of but a lot of the older ones are dying. There are leaves of course and they are still budding but it looks rather bare. What could be the problem?ANSWER:
According to our research you are lucky your tree has lived that long. It grows very fast, has brittle limbs, and dies fairly young. This subject has come up several times this year, and we would like to refer you to a Mr. Smarty Plants previous question that we think will cover your situation, also. Please note that question was from Georgia, and that the willow is not considered invasive in Ohio, either. However, this USDA Plant profile of Salix x sepulcralis doesn't show it even growing in Ohio, so that's probably why it's not invasive. It would indicate that the temperatures are not good in Ohio for the weeping willow so, again, you are probably fortunate it lived this long.
Perhaps you would be willing to consider a native tree that might serve as a replacement for your weeping willow. We went to Recommended Species, clicked on Ohio on the map, and narrowed our search by clicking on tree for habit, perennial for duration. You can use the same method to make your own selection of trees or shrubs, and then go to our native plant suppliers site, type in your town and state in the Enter Search Location box, and you will get a list of native plant nurseries, seed companies and landscape professionals in your area.
Carpinus caroliniana (American hornbeam)
Carya ovata (shagbark hickory)
More Non-Natives Questions
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August 24, 2013 - Does the plant, Corona De Cristo (Crown of thorns) cause cancer?
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July 14, 2008 - I wrote earlier about a blue potato tree(Lycianthus rantonnei) the top appears dead but if you break a branch it is still green, what would happen to it if I cut all the branches forming at the bottom...
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Care of non-native house plant, probably Coleus
September 16, 2007 - What would cause the new leaves of a house plant to be solid green? When I bought it, the original leaves were almost like a "tie-dye" fabric (green,yellow,orange, and red).
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Trimming spineless yucca in Chicago
April 05, 2011 - I have a spineless yucca (indoors) which is 11 feet tall and thirty-five years old. When the yucca recently started to scrape the ceiling, I moved it away (roughly 20 feet) from the windows to an area...
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Need suggestions for a privacy screen besides Murray Cypress.
October 18, 2011 - Mr. Smarty Plants,
I live in NE TX, about an hour east of Dallas on I-20. I hear interstate traffic behind my house, and have a busy street on its left side, and a school adjoining in back. I thi...
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