Dappled Willow is an easy-care shrub with gorgeous Spring and Summer color plus red twigs in Winter. Great for wet spots in your yard. Learn about Dappled Willow in this complete guide and see if it might be the perfect shrub for your landscape.
Do you have a wet spot in your yard? Do you want an easy-care plant that can handle wet spots? How about one with year-round garden interest plus a massive amount of fake flowers each Spring?
Wait a minute. Did I just say fake flowers? Yes I did, and you’ll have to keep reading to understand why!
The plant of your yard’s wet spot dreams is Dappled Willow, also known as Salix integra ‘Hakuro-nishiki’ Dappled Willow.
Dappled Willow is the perfect shrub to plant as a specimen or as a hedge. We have a long row of these beautiful shrubs in our back yard. We call these shrubs a living wall, as they provide privacy and nicely block our white vinyl fence (located behind them) from late Spring through early Fall.
Table of Contents
- The original Dappled Willow shrub that started it all!
- Rookie mistake planting Dappled Willow
- Giving the shrub a new (better) home
- Adding more Dappled Willow from cuttings
- Does Dappled Willow have flowers?
- Leaf Color
- Dappled Willow in Winter (red stems; snow damage)
- Growing Requirements
- Is Dappled Willow deer resistant?
- Is Dappled Willow rabbit resistant?
- Pros and Cons
- Pruning Dappled Willow
- Conclusion
The original Dappled Willow shrub that started it all!
Once upon a time, we were new homeowners with an actual yard where we could plant trees and flowers and shrubs. It was a magical time: no longer would we be confined to container gardening on a deck or balcony!
We headed to the local plant nursery, which was my own magic kingdom. Every type of plant I’d dreamed of growing was calling out to me. As I had been reading a ton of gardening books to prepare for this special moment, my husband trusted my judgment on what to buy and where to plant everything. (Yes, we still joke about this!)
Big mistake! I had a major garden fail. Bought way too much too soon. Rookie mistakes all over the place! I’m laughing as I think back to some of the gardening blunders I made. But that’s part of learning how to garden.
The original Dappled Willow shrub we purchased got caught in my excitement of planting too much too close together.
Rookie mistake planting Dappled Willow
The photograph below was taken in early Spring 2010, one year after planting our new garden beds in our front yard. Notice the Dappled Willow.
Apparently I thought one shrub was not enough. I planted six shrubs — egads, six shrubs — close together, including two Rheingolds.
Even though the plant tags on the Rheingold shrubs clearly listed the height and spread as three to four feet tall and wide, I went ahead and placed those shrubs in the front of this raised bed.
Behind those shrubs are two Endless Summer Hydrangeas. There is also the Dappled Willow and a Burning Bush. Six shrubs planted in a very small amount of space. Most of these shrubs have since found a permanent home in our back yard where they have more room to grow.
Here is a better photo of the Burning bush planted behind — yes, behind — the Dappled Willow. Don’t judge me. I’ve already done enough self-judging!
Giving the shrub a new (better) home
This Dappled Willow needed to be transplanted immediately! Of course, there’s no photos of it newly transplanted because this was BB: Before Blogging.
Below is the next photo I have of our Dappled Willow in May 2011, one year after being transplanted. In this area, we knew we could let this plant go crazy! There are three Dappled Willow shrubs in this photo, all from the original plant, which I’ll explain in a moment.
And here are the shrubs in May 2012, one year later:
Much bigger and more lush! The white fence is six feet tall, so you can get a sense of how quickly they grew from year to year.
We also have three Magnolia Jane shrubs planted next to the Dappled Willow. This side of our yard is so pretty in the Springtime with both the Magnolias and the Dappled Willow in bloom.
Adding more Dappled Willow from cuttings
We continued to add more shrubs to our living wall by growing additional plants from cuttings over time.
This began by accident, but oh what a happy accident as we learned just how easy it is to propagate Dappled Willow from cuttings.
One January, I cut some of the red stems from the original Dappled Willow shrub to stick into the urns by our front door. Easy Winter decorations.
Imagine our surprise when the stems began sprouting leaves in the Spring!
You can see these stems in the photo below. I carefully planted Spring flowers around them.
I’ve written a guide on how to successfully propagate Dappled Willow with simple cuttings. Click on the link to see step-by-step instructions. It is easy to do and can save you money as well. Buying multiple shrubs is expensive!
Does Dappled Willow have flowers?
Earlier in this article I mentioned fake flowers and also said this shrub looks pretty when it blooms. There is a very easy explanation.
The new Spring growth on Dappled Willow plants is a very pretty pink color. Many people mistake this new leaf growth as flowers — and they do look like flowers — but those are actually pink-colored leaves!
The Spring color is amazing as the shrub is covered in these pretty leaves. The pink color lasts a long time, versus some of the more fleeting Spring-blooming shrubs.
Leaf Color
Dappled Willow’s Spring foliage is a striking mix of green, ivory and pink. We had never seen anything like it when we first saw it on that magical day at the nursery so many years ago.
The pink leaves eventually fade and the Summer leaf color is a beautiful mottled — or dappled — ivory and green.
In the photo below, you can see how some of the pink leaves have spots on them. If you look closely, those spots are actually the *dappled* color that will turn ivory and green for the Summer.
Dappled Willow does not have great Fall leaf color, with the leaves mainly turning yellow to brown before falling off.
Dappled Willow in Winter
Pretty red stems
Once the leaves are gone, there are pretty red stems to enjoy all Winter long. Newer stems are red — which is a reason why you may want to prune these every year. Older stems — including the main trunks of the shrubs — are more of a grayish brown color.
The red stem color is not nearly as vibrant as the stems of Red Twig Dogwoods, but the color is a pretty shade and looks nice against our white fence or when we occasionally have snow.
Snow damage
Normally, a light to medium snowfall will not harm Dappled Willow shrubs. When the stems are covered in snow, they look almost magical, as in this photo I took at dusk one Winter:
But watch out for severe Winter storms with heavy, wet snow. We had an early Spring storm in 2018 that completely crushed these shrubs, as this view out of our window shows:
This storm occurred overnight, and as soon as we woke up and saw this, we were outside with brooms to gently push the heavy snow off without damaging the stems or branches. We were lucky that the shrubs bounced back.
Growing Requirements
USDA Zones: 4 — 9
Growth rate: fast!
Height and Width: 4 to 6 feet if pruned regularly; can grow much higher if left unpruned, perhaps 15 to 20 feet tall. To keep Dappled Willow smaller, pruning is essential.
Ours has grown between 10 and 15 feet tall. The width is hard to measure as we have grown ours as a living wall.
Growth habit: At first the growth will appear to be upright, but once the shrub is established, you’ll begin to notice the growth becomes curved and arches downward, almost like it is weeping.
Sun: full sun, partial shade. The best color is produced in full sun.
Spacing between shrubs: six feet apart, whether you are planting a row of Dappled Willow or planting them within a garden near other shrubs or perennials.
Plant them closer only if you are OK with pruning them, or if you don’t mind the stems growing into each other.
Water needs: loves moisture — especially first year. Don’t let the soil completely dry out.
Fertilizer: slow-release organic fertilizer, once a year in Spring.
Soil: adaptable, but loves moist and wet soils the best. That being said, my parents have a shrub — yes, grown from one of my cuttings — that is thriving in normal soil.
Is Dappled Willow deer resistant?
There is not a consensus on whether or not Dappled Willow is deer resistant. Some gardening experts say yes and others say no. When hungry, deer tend to eat just about anything. Dappled Willow is a fast grower, and that’s in its favor if it gets naturally *pruned* by deer.
Is Dappled Willow rabbit resistant?
Rabbits love to nibble on new shoots — especially in Spring — so make sure to protect your newly planted shrubs if they are small or young. Some people will surround the shrub with chicken wire, however I’ve seen rabbits dig under such things. They are crafty!
We have watched rabbits visiting our Dappled Willow to eat, but there is never any major shrub damage. I think they nibble on it as salad. (And of course I wish they wouldn’t.)
Pros and Cons
On the plus side . . .
- Solves your yard’s wet spot problem. It’s an easy-care shrub, as long as it gets enough water.
- Prune to whatever shape and size you want. This plant can fit into a more formal garden setting if pruned in a circular shape, just as it can fit into a more natural setting like in our back yard where we let it grow.
- Four season interest: red stems in Winter, pink leaves in Spring and dappled leaf color all Summer into Fall.
And a few things to be aware of . . .
- Avoid planting Dappled Willow near your water pipes, drains, and even any water features as their roots could end up causing problems. Just like any plant in the Willow family, their roots will seek out water.
- Make sure you plant Dappled Willow where it will have room to grow. (Don’t make my rookie mistake!) And be prepared for lots of pruning if you want to keep it within small gardens.
- Dappled Willow is a very fast grower. Very fast. We’ve seen some shrubs grow as high as 20+ feet tall. Ours is currently in the 10 to 15 foot range. The fast growth is wonderful for privacy screens or hedges.
- Pay attention to spacing between shrubs. Dappled Willow’s branches grow long, up and out from the main branches. If you don’t want to be constantly pruning, space them well apart from each other.
Pruning Dappled Willow
Dappled Willow can be pruned as much as you want, or not at all. And you can prune it into various shapes and sizes too.
Whether or not to prune your shrubs — as well as how often — is of course up to you. I’m sharing my own experience for you to learn from.
Important to remember: Dappled Willow shrubs are vigorous growers and enjoy lots of room!
Here’s what our Dappled Willow — next to our Magnolia Janes — looked like in 2013:
And here is what they looked like three years later:
Just looking at the lack of space shows you the importance of not planting shrubs too close to each other.
I trim the Dappled Willow back a few times during the Summer and Fall to make sure it doesn’t take over our pretty Magnolia Janes.
This shrub responds super well to pruning, so you can keep the Dappled Willow to whatever height and width you would like. Just remember that the more you want it to fit into a confined space, the more you’ll have to prune it.
When is the best time to prune Dappled Willows?
Either very early Spring before — or just as — the leaf buds start to show. Otherwise wait until after the gorgeous pink leaves are done blooming. The Summer leaf color is a variegated (i.e. dappled) green and ivory.
The image above shows you the height of ours. The white vinyl fence is 6 feet tall, and the Dappled Willow is between 10 and 15 feet high! The living wall is approximately 40 feet in length. Each shrub is planted 3 feet away the fence.
We trim it up perhaps two to three times a season, to keep the front of the shrubs fairly even with the stone edging.
And we also go over to our neighbor’s yard and trim back any branches hanging over into their yard as well. They love the look of it rising above the fence and enjoy the added privacy too.
How do you prune Dappled Willow?
For the most natural look, use long-handled loppers and hand pruners. You can use an electric hedge trimmer, however this shrub is not meant to look as groomed as boxwoods, for example.
We have used a hedge trimmer in the past to quickly remove a lot of growth, but then we go in with our loppers and hand pruners to further clean up the shrub and make it look its best. In general, I’m not a fan of hedge trimmers for this particular shrub.
We also put a large tarp on the ground, to make cleanup quicker. This shrub doesn’t have sharp leaves or stems, but I always wear gardening gloves to make gripping the branches and stems easier.
How quickly do they recover from pruning?
Fairly quickly, as Dappled Willow are fast growers. For example, below is a photo of shrubs in April, about one month after pruning . . .
. . . and here are the same shrubs just two months later in June . . .
Can you prune Dappled Willow all the way down to the ground?
Yes you can! This technique is called coppicing, and will rejuvenate the shrub. As this shrub is a fast grower, new growth will sprout up and grow in nice and full. You will also encourage new red stems to grow which adds Winter interest to your garden.
Coppicing is a way to keep your shrub within bounds if you have it planted in a smaller space or just want to have a smaller sized plant. It is best done in late Winter or very early Spring while the plant is dormant.
Overgrown Dappled Willow? Coppicing is a must if your Dappled Willow has become overgrown. In fact, we did this to our own shrubs this year. Below is a short video about our overgrown shrubs, problems that arise and how coppicing will solve these problems. The second video shows you the actual coppicing.
Can you prune Dappled Willow into a tree form?
Yes, you can prune your shrub into a multi-trunk tree fairly easily. Remove any new growth from the lower two-thirds of your shrub while letting the upper stems grow. This will result in a lovely shape.
Garden centers and nurseries also sell Dappled Willow tree *standards* which look like one main stem with growth at the top in a rounded ball shape. These fit into a more formal garden setting nicely.
Conclusion
No matter what size shrub you have, Dappled Willow will add so much color to your landscape. Once established, it doesn’t require a lot of care. Just remember it enjoys water and room to grow.
I love this perennial shrub for its easy care, reliability, and of course its multi-season interest. I hope you will too.
Happy gardening!
Hello,
Thank you for the great info here. I have brand new dapper willows (planted spring 2020) and haven’t pruned them yet. I live in Michigan and do get snow up to the end of April or atleast a frost at night still.
My willows already have new red stem growth on them and buds. Is it ok to prune now or should I wait until May when I know the coldness is gone? I don’t want to damage the new growth and could really use some advice.
Hi Jennifer, It is ok to prune them now. If you see buds, it means they think it is time to start growing! Pruning them this early won’t affect the beautiful Spring color — the wonderful pink leaves. Another option is to wait like you suggested — but if you do — I’d suggest then waiting until after the Spring pink color is finished. You don’t want to miss the gorgeous pink color show! I hope this helps!
You are a Godsend! We bought our house 4 years ago. The man who sold it is supposedly a landscaper. More on that at a future time…….we have two dappled willows that were probably 2 years old at the time. I didn’t realize how fast they grow and they have gone from beautiful plants to monsters. I came across your video in YouTube about coppicing. I had decided to cut them back to the ground and your video showed me the way. I bow down to your expertise. Thank you, thank you.
Well you are most welcome Mary! I’m glad I could help! Yes, it is amazing how fast Dappled Willows grow, especially if they are happy where they are planted. Now your monsters are gone and beautiful plants will soon return!
Thank you for your very informative article and videos. I am getting ready to plant 8 plants and want to use them as a privacy fence. They are going in an area that only has pine trees around so they will have plenty of room to grow. I read that you said to plant them 6 ft apart. If we want to let them grow wild naturally would 8 feet apart work since I have so much area to cover or would the 6 feet apart provide better privacy? Thank you.
Good question, Jill! As you could see from ours, these plants will grow into each other easily. I think — if I were doing this — I might go with the 8 feet apart as you suggest. Since you want to let it grow wild, it will have more room to spread out from the sides, yet still grow nicely into each other. Keep in mind that some pruning will be needed occasionally, so you can avoid the centers dying out, somewhat “inside” of each plant. Now, part of the reason we ran into this problem is because we are pruning to keep it more confined into its space. If we were able to just let it always grow freely, then yes worrying about the inside area of each shrub isn’t as important. I hope this makes sense? There are two videos I have on my YouTube channel about Dappled Willows that may also help you visualize what they will look like. Let me know if this answers your question. 🙂
Hi Laura,
Thank you for sharing this wonderful article! I’d love your opinion on a few things, if you would be so kind. We want to build a cottage on a small Bay and use a row of dappled willow for privacy. The problem is that once every 3-4 years, that area could possibly be flooded when we have super tides. The area drains fairly well so they would not be sitting in water for long periods of time. Do you think the Willow would survive salt water contact for a few tidal cycles if this happened? They sound quite hardy so I’m hoping that they will.
And question number 2. Our sewer is most likely going to be between the house and the row of willows. What kind of buffer zone would you give the plants to make sure the root system doesn’t affect the sewer bed? I know your answer would just be your best guess, and that’s fine. Whatever you say I’ll probably double the distance to make sure we have no issues. We have all kinds of space so I think we can make it happen. Thank you so much for your help!
These are all great questions Carol, and by the way: a cottage on a small bay sounds perfect to me! I think the Dappled Willow could survive occasional flooding, and what I would do is hose off the plants to avoid them getting any burn from the salt water, after they’re hit with the salt water tides. Just to be on the safe side. My guess is after the first time you experience this, you’ll learn how little — or how much — the plants are impacted by the salt in the salt water. As for the sewer, all I know is that Dappled Willow is supposedly not aggressive like Weeping Willows, for example. However, I would definitely consult a nursery expert — hopefully one conveniently located near where your wonderful cottage will be located. That’s what I would do, if it was me building the cottage. I’m not an expert on things like that, but like you I’d want to do it right the first time! Perhaps the sewer company might also be a resource as no doubt they’ve encountered such things. (At least I hope they could provide advice). I hope this helps somewhat?
Hello! Thanks so much for all the great information! I have recently purchased two small dappled willows and now realize the spots where I intended them to go won’t work. Too much shade, too small, etc. My next choice is actually in the front of the house with lots of space and sun BUT the area won’t be ready for a while, probably not till the summer of 2022. Since our plans aren’t concrete yet for that space, I don’t want to plant them permanently. Can they go in bigger pots until next year?
You’re in luck, Jackie! Yes, your Dappled Willows can go into bigger pots until next year! Make sure to provide them with lots of water as they grow, and you should be just fine. In the Winter season — not sure where you are located — you can keep them outside, but just move them nearest to your house, preferably in a sheltered area. They will go dormant, but you don’t want them to die out either. Periodically give them water during the dormant months IF there is a long drought without any rain or snow. They should be fine. (And how fun planning out your front yard too!)
Thank you so much, Laura! I’m in Canada, west coast, it goes below zero F once in a while here. Would they be better off in my garden shed? (no windows)
They should be ok outdoors in a sheltered spot, but yes they will be fine in your garden shed too. Just make sure to water occasionally, as if they would be getting natural rain or snow during their dormant (Winter) season.
Hi Laura
I just bought a grafted dappled willow. It was from Home Depot they didn’t know much about. The long trunk is not straight its very curved. I just planted it today. I attached a stake to it, will that help it straighten out as it grows. I live in Newfoundland we have lots of snow. Should I cover it in winter?
Hi Gerri, Are you in Newfoundland, Canada? (There are several Newfoundland towns here in the United States, so I want to make sure.) If you are in Canada, your Dappled Willow should be fine. These plants go dormant for the Winter season, so as long as you’ve got some mulch on the ground to keep the soil from drying out and somewhat insulated, your Dappled Willow should be ok. However, as you know, there are never any guarantees with Mother Nature! You mentioned purchasing a “grafted Dappled Willow” so I’m assuming you mean that you have a Dappled Willow tree form? Usually the tree forms have one main trunk. A trunk that is curved won’t bend and straighten out, but it’s great you attached a stake to it anyway. If the tree is planted in a windy location, the tree won’t begin leaning from being blown in certain directions. Is your tree the type that has rounded growth only at the top of the trunk stem? I would guess that as long as that top growth is somewhat “straight” then the curved trunk might not be as much of an issue as it grows taller. Hard to say, and I hope that Home Depot gave you a discount for the curved trunk. 🙂 Does this help?
We planted a dappled willow mid April. A week later had two nights of frost. Leaves look wilted and no more pink.☹️ Will it recover?
Thank you
Lynda
Hi Lynda, your Dappled Willow should be fine. You might lose the pink color, but the leaves will come back and should become the wonderful mottled, variegated colors of cream and green. Dappled Willow are very hardy, so make sure it has enough water and sun and it should be ok. Keep me posted!
Our dappled willow looks great. If the rain doesn’t stop soon may have another problem. The willow and I need some sun. Thanks again and have a wonderful day.
So glad to hear your Dappled Willow is doing fine! And I totally agree with you: three straight days of pouring rain doesn’t work for me! Here’s hoping we get some sun this week!
I keep hearing how invasive the roots of dappled willow are. Are they confusing it with willow. I want to plant it on the corner of my home but don’t want basement problems. I love them. Help
Hi Phyllis,
From everything I’ve read, my impression is that Dappled Willows are not as invasive as Weeping Willows, or Willows in general. However, I would definitely consult with either a nursery expert in your area and/or a sewer or septic tank professional. I don’t want to give advice that I’m not 100% sure of. I’m not an expert on things like that, but like you I’d want to do it right the first time! I hope this helps, at least a bit?
I bought my dappled willow last year and it was beautiful and growing so nice. We live 45 outside Chicago in the burbs. This year I have growth at the base but nothing at any of the stems that are shaped so nicely. What should I do.
Hi Linda, Are there any buds at all on the rest of the stems? I’m unsure what kind of a Winter season you had, but am wondering if things are late to leaf out? If the new growth at the base looks good and “normal” like Dappled Willow growth should, then perhaps the outer stems got too dry somehow and died? (I’m guessing here, without seeing the plant.) I’d let the new growth continue to grow, as this will be new stems that should grow quickly. If you’d like to send me a photo or two, you can send them to my email: [email protected]. PS — Don’t cut those bare stems off yet until you can be very sure there are no buds on them at all. Fingers crossed!
I live in Canada love the dappled willow great success in our last home.Huge show of pinks and greens and white ❤️
We have moved and I planted at least 1o new plants lSt year they are not showing the pink this spring
This is second year !
Do I need a little more patience?
Hmmmm this is a good question, Marilyn! Are you feeding the plants in the Spring with a good fertilizer? That is my first guess, that the shrubs might want some fertilizer. Fertilize a bit more heavier than normal, you can still do it now even though they are already leafed out. It might not help with the pink color this year — if that time has already passed in your area — but it will help overall with the coloring. Water the fertilizer into the soil well, and hopefully this will do the trick. How is the color otherwise?
Thank you so much for all these details! We have three of these planted in our backyard and they are beautiful! They’ve become overgrown the past couple of years, so I followed your advice for a good pruning and cut a lot of dead branches off. I’ve noticed that the leaves are more green than pink, but it may be too early in the season yet. Your video mentioned that more green than pink could be a result of the overgrowth, though. Did I understand that correctly or could it be diseased? I can’t find any details about this online, so just hoping for some more advice! I’m also thinking about coppicing next year depending on how they do this year. They look much healthier without all the dead branches on them though. A big improvement! Thanks for any thoughts on this!
Hi Ashley, The green leaves are from being a bit overgrown. No worries about disease, so you’re good. Yes, I agree that Dappled Willow can instantly look so much better when all of the dead branches are removed! Wait until after the Spring season, once the “dappled” color fully kicks in. If, during the Summer, you still see green leaves, I’d cut those off at the base of that stem (that the leaves are on). Hopefully there won’t be too many of them. This should fix the shrubs nicely! I hope this helps!
Excellent – will do! Thank you so much!
My newly planted willow I has yellow leaves on the bottom and dry leaves on top …
What’s happening ? Watering too much or not enough. Help!
Hi Sandy, If there’s dry leaves on top, I think your Dappled Willow is telling you it wants more water. Yellow leaves — unfortunately — can be confusing and mean BOTH not enough water or too much water. So…the dry leaves makes me think it’s needing more water. In general, Dappled Willows LOVE water, and so give it a nice long drink. I hope this helps!
I planted 4 plants last summer. I live in Nova Scotia Canada. We have lots of snow and late spring. This is the end of May and we are now seeing the beginning of new growth. My 4 on the south side of the house are growing and look healthy. The one in the front, gets a north wind and that side of the bush, the leaves all turned brown and looked terrible. Today I cut those stems down hoping that it will recover with summer coming…I hope I have done the right thing?
Yes, Christine, no worries because Dappled Willow is amazingly resilient! It will bounce back, even if it takes a bit of time. When you cut the stems down, did you see green? If so, you’re all set. BUT — even if you didn’t see any green: new growth will sprout out of stems that you think are dead. You can watch an “update” video on my Garden Sanity YouTube Channel where I show how what looked like dead stumps just two months ago are now covered with new growth. It’s funny — and frustrating — how our plants can grow so differently depending on where we have them in our landscape. Keep me posted!
I am worried that it is a fungus. New leaves come and then turn brown…should I cut these off and let it come up from the bottom again? I have 4 others in a different location and they are beautiful with new growth. I am in NS Canada.
Hmmmm… This has me stumped Christine. What makes you think it is a fungus? Is it because it continues to happen with the new growth? How does the new growth — that’s coming up from the base — appear? Are the leaves fine, or also getting brown? Also: is the shrub getting enough water? These shrubs love water, and the leaves will turn brown if it is drying out. Wind can really dry out plants, and it always surprises me how much wind does dry out even what I think are well-watered plants. That could be all it is. Also, add some slow-release fertilizer mixed into the soil around the shrubs too. Just to give it a little encouragement. Let me know if the water improves the shrubs. (I’m still not ready to agree it is a fungus — but that’s a good thing!)
Hi Laura,
I need your expert advice.
I planted our dappled willow (tree form) last September in a spot that gets full for a solid 6 hours and filtered sun/shade for the remainder of the day. It was beautiful and lush for the first several weeks this spring and filled in beautifully. Then I noticed aphids on the new pink growth, and ants parading up and down the truck. I put sticky tape around the base of the tree stop the ants and I started manually taking the aphids off.
To make a very long story short, I tried all the organic approaches (including neem oil) but the problem grew worse and now a solid 65% of the leaves are gone. The remaining leaves are curled, browned, and otherwise damaged.
I believe I may have triggered the infestation by stressing out the tree. I did not put mulch around the base of the tree, and I did not water it at all during a three-week period of warm sunny weather in early spring. I am new to gardening, so unless someone explicitly tells me what needs to be done, I assume nothing is needed. I put some slow release fertilizer around the tree at the beginning of spring and thought my job was done. I didn’t get any watering instructions, and no one let me in on the secret wonders of mulch.
The mulch is now down. I give the tree a bucket of water every day (two on hot days), I have reached for the nuclear option and sprayed the tree with insecticide (second week now), I have trimmed off the new infested growth, and I am feeding the tree transplant fertilizer once a week to encourage recovery and to promote new growth. I am seeing new leaves form, though I am also seeing new aphids on the tree.
Is there anything else I could/should be doing that I am not doing? I am in love with this tree and I want it to thrive. It pains me to see it all tortured and suffering. What have I missed?
Wow — those aphids sound like they are mutant aphids! I sure wish that insecticide would have helped. I suggest using organic insect soap. There is a fabulous product by Espoma called “Organic Insect Control” and it kills insects — including aphids — on contact. It is a spray. You shake well, then spray and wet the leaves — although NOT to the point of dripping liquid. (And don’t forget to spray the undersides of leaves too.) I think you need something like this. After spraying, wait a day, go out and see what everything looks like. Hopefully there are dead aphids. Follow label directions. (Hoping this helps get rid of the aphids.).
The trouble with using general insecticides is that they often will kill other insects that are needed to help control the bad insects. So it’s possible that there’s nothing at the moment alive to attack the aphids, which results in more aphids instead of less. I know: it is beyond frustrating.
More ideas: in between the spraying of insect soap — which I think they suggest is once every week or two — use a hose to remove the aphids, especially if there’s no rain. That’s easier than hand removing them. And if you have a local nursery that sells live lady bugs, purchase some and put them in your garden around your tree.
Everything else you are doing is great. Mulch sounds good, watering sounds good. Don’t over-fertilize is one thing I would caution. That can also stress plants and trees. I hope this helps! Keep me posted!
Thank you so much. I will look for the product at the nursery and order it if they don’t have it in. Yes, my local nursery said they would have ladybugs in by summer, which is unfortunate timing as I understand aphids tend to be mostly a spring issue.
Today I walked past a gorgeous, established dappled willow and stopped to inspect its new pink growth. I was surprised to find it covered in aphids, just like my tree. Even more surprising was that the plant seem completely unaffected by their presence and looked to be thriving. This made me wonder if the aphids were an unrelated problem and the real problem was my underwatering, or if my tree was particularly devastated by the aphids because it is not yet established. (Or some combination of these two things.)
Are dappled willows usually able to tolerate aphid infestations reasonably well?
Aphids are never a good thing, so even if you see it on other shrubs and the shrubs appear to be great, I can’t imagine it will remain that way. Aphids also aren’t just a Spring issue, unfortunately. They will pop up whenever they feel like it, if conditions (to them) are right. In the meantime, your hose nozzle — to rinse them off the Dappled Willow — is your best friend. Make sure to give the tree enough water too. The ladybugs should come in handy, so I’d still recommend them, plus the Organic Insect Control Hang in there Garden noob — you’re doing a good job!
Hi Laura! Your shrubs are absolutely beautiful! This might sound strange but I recently just discovered an area in my yard to put a shade garden. It had been covered in lilacs for years. Unfortunately the shrubs did not survive the winter of 2020 and so as we were ripping them out I discovered this magical place I’m calling my secret garden!
The front of the garden gets probably 3 to 4 hours of sun while the far back is pretty much full shade. I’ve been admiring the dappled willow now for a couple years but just didn’t necessarily have a place to put it in our yard. Since now that I need to add some shrubs back to replace some of the dead lilacs, I’m very excited to see the beauty and personality of the shrub in my secret garden.
So to my question… Sorry that was a long way around… Do you think 3 hours or so it’s going to be enough sun for this lovely gem?
Hi Nicole, Finding a new gardening space isn’t strange at all. Just last weekend, I dug up a small shrub that was driving me nuts, and was amazed at how much “new” room I have to plant other things! Your new secret garden sounds like so much fun to put together! The best color on Dappled Willows will occur if they are planted in full sun, however, partial shade also works. My parents have a large dappled willow shrub (taken from one of my cuttings) sited in mostly shade and it is doing quite well. Make sure to remember these love to spread out, so don’t plant the shrubs any closer together than what I list above in my guide. 🙂 Also know that anything planted in front of them should be placed at least a few feet in front of them. The front branches will eventually arch forward. Yes, you can prune them, but it is easier not to have to worry you planted things too close together. (Learn from my mistakes! LOL) Not sure where you are located, but another benefit of partial sun/partial shade is if your Summers are very hot. Shrubs always appreciate a bit of shade to cool off from the hot sun. Keep me posted on what you decide. This sounds like a wonderful project!
Hi Laura – We currently have 2 very large (about 10′) dappled willows in our back yard that were here when we bought the house. I’m a little concerned about the root system being too close to a water source (septic). Is it possible to transplant a shrub this large? I absolutely love them and would hate to damage them, but I know willow roots can be very invasive. Thanks!
Hi Sandra, I can only imagine how big the roots are underneath the ground on a 10′ Dappled Willow shrub! Supposedly Dappled Willows are not as invasive as Willows in general, however I totally understand your concern. I’m not sure if removing the Dappled Willow — in order to transplant it elsewhere — is something you could do yourselves. I’m not doubting your strength — LOL — but I’m doubting you have the professional tools to truly get at all of those roots down there. If they aren’t all removed, you’ll still get “new” Dappled Willow plants sprouting up in that area from the roots remaining there. It sounds like a job for a professional tree service. We recently had our “tree guy” as I call him — a certified arborist — remove two dead magnolia trees for us. I was amazed at the amount of roots they dug out of the ground, as well as how thick those roots were. They were huge!! My husband and I were so thankful we didn’t attempt this ourselves! If you go with a landscaper, make sure they can remove all of the roots for you, as not all landscapers may have the professional tools needed to dig out those roots.
You don’t need to transplant “all” of the roots, but you will want to have them remove as much as possible for you. My other suggestion would be to trim down your Dappled Willow to a more manageable size — say about 5 feet — before removing and transplanting. (These shrubs grow back quickly.) It will just make things easier for you. You will want the new spot you choose to get enough water, as these shrubs love moisture. And sun for best color. When transplanting an existing shrub of that size, it might go into somewhat of a shock and appear to be dying — BUT — hang in there as it will rebound. We experienced this when we transplanted our original shrub in the middle of Summer years ago, and it looked awful for about a month until new growth took over the small dead brown leaves. I hope this helps. It sounds like a major job, but is also sounds like the type of job that once you have it done, you’ll be much happier! Let me know how it goes, and I hope it goes smoothly for you!
We’ve had a dappled willow tree for quite a few years. This year 2 major branches have died on it. Do they have a life cycle?
Hi Susan, I guess I have several questions, which may not initially help you. I’m curious as to how thick the 2 branches are (or were)? Also when you say they died, is it because there are no longer any leaves on them? No knowing these answers, if it happened to me, I’d just cut those branches off. No, there isn’t any life cycle for Dappled Willow — or their branches. In the past, if I’ve seen a branch looking like it is dying, I wait to see if there’s any new growth — for example buds — beginning to form on it. That will usually happen with any branch that looks dead. Another idea is to gently scrape the outer edge of the branch to see if it is green inside. You may have already done these things. If the rest of the shrub looks healthy, I wouldn’t worry about it. How does the rest of the shrub look?
Hi Laura
I really enjoyed all the information that you wrote. So many questions I had were answered. I do have a question myself though. I planted 3 Dappled Willows last year towards the end of the summer. They have done very well but are not as full as I had hoped. Will this happen soon? I live in Tennessee. Also I may have made a mistake in the area I planted them. They are about 10 feet from our septic tank. Is this a problem in the future?
Thank you
Shirley Stowe
Hi Shirley, I’m glad my article was able to help answer some of your questions! I think your Dappled Willows just need a bit more time to settle in. They are probably still getting established into their spots, since you planted at the end of the Summer last year. They went through a dormant Winter season, where all growing stopped for awhile. No worries. Make sure to feed them a good slow-release organic fertilizer to help them. Also, these shrubs love water — especially when young and still getting established. So make sure to give them enough water.
As for the septic tank issue, I’m honestly not sure. This is a question that does come up from readers, and my advice is always to consult with either a local nursery expert (hopefully you have a good garden nursery nearby) and/or a sewer company or septic tank company. They can advise best, and that’s what I would do if I had this question. I hope this helps, and if it is suggested you move them, at least the shrubs are still young. Keep me posted on how the shrubs are doing!
Well, I am just sick. Went out to water my brand new dappled willow and it is gone!!! Guess the bunnies ate it!! There is very little of the stem even left so I doubt if it will recover.
Oh no Carla!!! That’s horrible, but it seems like many of us are experiencing crazy rabbit damage this year like never before. It probably CAN recover, so don’t lose hope. First, try and repel the rabbits by sprinkling Repels-All (by Bonide) or spraying Liquid Fence, following package directions. Next, if what remains is small enough, purchase a wire cloche that you can place on top of the remaining plant so that it can start to grow back without the rabbits getting at it. There are many varieties for sale on Amazon and elsewhere. Dappled Willows are very strong so all is not lost. Well, except for how you’re feeling and I totally get what you’re going through, as the rabbits here have devoured certain plants of mine as well. It stinks. Let me know if these things help!
I absolutely love dappled willows and planted two of them. It only took a few days for the bunnies (and I think deer too) to eat them down to the ground. I am heartbroken. Do you think there is any chance they might come back?
Wow, Martha. It sounds like you’ve got some “pandemic rabbits” as I call them. Rabbits have been eating so many things last year AND this year that they only used to only nibble on years ago. So sorry to hear this — BUT — the good news is yes, your shrubs will come back. The first thing to do is to protect them from the deer and rabbits while they grow back. (Dappled Willow are fast growers, which is good!) I’m not sure what will work best for you in terms of deer, as thankfully I’m very fortunate not to have a deer problem. While the shrubs are so short, you could put temporary chicken wire around them to keep the deer and rabbits at bay. Depending on how big or small they are in diameter, you could also try a wire cloche to put on top of them. Most importantly, you will need to spray regularly with a deer/rabbit repellent, following package directions. If it was me, I’d spray the area surrounding the Dappled Willow as well, just to hopefully keep them away.
In my own case this Summer, the rabbits are destroying certain shrubs while leaving others alone. They are nibbling the Dappled Willow but so far, so good. Even so, I regularly sprinkle Repels-All granules (by Bonide) all around each shrub to keep the rabbits at bay. Sometimes it works, and other times I think the rabbits have stuffed-up noses and just don’t smell the bad smells designed to keep them away. I hope one of these preventative measures helps your Dappled Willows grow back. Keep me posted!
Hi Laura,
I live in South Jersey and have 5 Dappled Willows. Thank you for educating me on how to cut down (not remove) my overgrown shrubs to a height I can handle. When is the best time for me to do this here (08234) in NJ? They are sooo out of control now, didn’t tend to them as I should have after my husband was diagnosed with cancer. Sadly he passed and want to keep our house and yard as nice as it was when we worked at it together….. now I have to take control of these shrubs…..but What month? What do I look for on branches,etc to let me know it’s safe? Thank you so very much! I love these shrubs!
Hi Martha, First, my deepest condolences on the difficult loss of your husband. Working on your garden will indeed be such a nice way to remember the two of you working together on projects. I wish you much peace with your gardening efforts.
Above in my article, there are two videos that I’d suggest you watch if you haven’t already as they may answer some of your questions on what to look for. If they are overgrown, cutting them back severely is a great option to get them back under control. Go to the “Videos” section of this website to see another video on how quickly my Dappled Willow grew back after cutting them down severely.
As for what time of year, and knowing you’re just south of me…where we are getting hit with such a horrible heat wave right now, I would avoid cutting them back during the high temperatures of the Summer. The best time would be late Winter or early Spring for such a severe pruning. However, you could also do this in late Fall too. A great reason to also wait until the leaves aren’t on the Dappled Willows when you prune them, is so you can see exactly what the branches look like. In our case, which you’ll see in the videos, the main trunks all grew in a leaning, almost horizontal way, which was not what we wanted. So now we have started over and will keep a better eye to have them grow upright. (We hope!)
As for what to look for on branches, you don’t have to be particular at all with Dappled Willows, which makes pruning them very easy. No matter how much — or how little — you cut it back, new buds sprout up within days sometimes so quickly it is amazing! Just decide how low you want to go. You’ll see in my videos that I went VERY low, and don’t regret it at all. These shrubs needed to start over. Maybe yours do too? Keep me posted!
So here’s a novice question…I wanted to plant the dappled willow on the edge of a wet grassy area at the back of my yard, and I had a hard time digging through a network of about 2 inch roots from a weed tree behind it. So I dug as far down as I could… about 4 inches and then built up a berm around the rest of the dirt ball and roots and added natural mulch. Am I doomed? Or will that work?
Thanks in advance.
And yes we have bunnies back there, but we have a motion sensor water spray that works great!
Good question, Kathy…and I wish I could say this definitely will work. I’m honestly not sure. The good thing about Dappled Willow is that their roots will dig down and find water. However, I am unsure about digging only 4 inches down. Since it isn’t very deep, I’m unsure how this will work out. I like your solution of trying to build up the soil around it, and am hoping this does work for you. Even though it is very wet in that area, make sure you check the soil moisture in the “berm” to make sure it stays moist too, since that’s where the roots are. Hopefully the roots will find their way down into the soil over time and enjoy the natural moisture that resides there — then you won’t have to worry the plant. Until then, keep an eye on it for any signs of drying out — you’ll notice the edges of the leaves getting brown if that’s the case. Please keep me posted! And that motion sensor spray sounds interesting, and I’m happy to hear that it works. Do those rabbits ever get used to it? Or do they remain scared of it? I swear our rabbits here think that our sprinkler system is their time to cool off. LOL But now I’m interested in looking into this as an option, so thanks!
Great information about the Hakura Nishiki Dappled Willow! Exactly what I was hoping to find. Bought 3 this year here in Minnesota zone 4. My goal is to keep them around 4′ x 4′ in size because they have to “share” space with a other shrubs and perennials. The deer in our area of course have already stopped and snacked on them a bit, but I have a feeling that will be just fine. We’ll see if they get nibbled on over the winter months and how that will affect them. The information on coppicing was also very helpful. I did this to a very old thinning lilac shrub last year (that was neglected for years by previous owners). I wanted to replace it with a new shrub, so I was hoping to kill it, but this spring, it came back thick and full of life!
I’m smiling at your Lilac returning better than ever Julie! Sometimes that’s all a shrub needs to get it to kick into high gear again. I don’t have deer, but knowing they like to help “prune” Dappled Willow isn’t necessarily a bad thing, so fingers crossed they won’t favor it too much during the Winter months. (I have a problem with rabbits in my gardens and they munch on the lowest Dappled Willow branches, but nothing horrible thankfully.) Keeping the shrubs to 4′ x 4′ sounds doable, and what’s nice is when we prune them repeatedly we encourage new growth so they remain nice and full. I’m glad my article helped and if you have any other questions, just ask!