Weeping willow tree - do roots cause damage?

ripplyuk

I'd really like one of these but I've read that the roots can be invasive. Ideally, I'd like to plant it about 5 metres away from the house but I could move it a bit further if needed. Is it likely to cause any problems?

Bananas123

hello,

i dunno, there's aload of willows, shrubs, trees, some grafted some not ?, like no problems with the smaller ones ?

i read the root system is shallow and can extend 3x beyond canopy reach, so if it's a "massive tree" willow, then you may have some problems.

the roots stay shallow allegedly though, so you could enclose them ?, limiting the size?.

i wouldn't be "put off", but if you are thinking of putting a massive tree in, then maybe some more consideration ?

5m though is big, so you may have years before encountering problems also, depending on size.

good thing to do, is to join a gardening forum and post pictures of specific plot and intentions ?,

sorry for lack of relative help.

theoretica

Willow is very thirsty and can dry out the ground, but there are dwarf varieties. Kilmarnock willow is one which weeps. Willow will also bonsai, so you could probably restrict the roots.

ripplyuk

I'd like it to dry out the ground as the area I'm thinking of is very damp. But I don't want to cause problems with underground pipes or whatever.

Fuzzy39

Willow trees can cause subsidence if they are too close to a property

Davesnave

ripplyuk wrote: »

I'd like it to dry out the ground as the area I'm thinking of is very damp. But I don't want to cause problems with underground pipes or whatever.

Do you know where the drains run? Trees often cause more damage to old pipework than to modern buildings, but much depends on soil type.

Weeping willows grow large and relatively quickly. While you could prune and keep it controlled, it isn't really a great tree for an urban situation and will just give you extra work that way.

Other trees to consider for damp situations might include alders. The Italian alder is upright and grows quickly at first, but takes about 30 years to full height of around 12m. That's about half the height of a mature weeping willow. A hawthorn (many kinds) would also do OK on damp soil.

ripplyuk

I've no idea where the drains are. The house is from the 1950's and I'd imagine all the pipe work is that old, so maybe it's best if I forget about the willow. I don't want to have to worry about it all the time. It's a pity, I just love the look of them. Though to be honest, I didn't realise they grew that huge anyway!

I'll have a look at the alder. There's already a large hawthorn. I'm now thinking of looking into putting a drain under that part of the garden to dry it up a bit. The gardens being renovated soon anyway. Maybe then I could find a smaller weeping tree that looks similar to the willow.

Davesnave

ripplyuk wrote: »

Maybe then I could find a smaller weeping tree that looks similar to the willow.

Weeping pear ?

https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/details?plantid=1585

sheramber

Weeping willows can grow to 40 feet and spread to 40 feet.