Native Plants

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Thursday - July 22, 2010

From: Downey, CA
Region: California
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Non-native hybrid willows dropping leaves in Downey CA
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

I have 1 year old Hybrid Willows that are strong and 12 feet tall, with many branches. All of a sudden they are dropping their leaves in July. I got them for fast growing shade, now the branches are almost bare. Are they ok? Are they dying? Is there anything I can do? I swore they looked healthy. Thanks,

ANSWER:

We were not sure what exactly a "hybrid willow" is, but most willows are natives of the Far East, and many of them are hybrids of non-native willows. This means they fall out of our range of expertise, which is the growth, protection and propagation of plants native not only to North America but to the area in which the plants are being grown.

When we searched the Internet for sources of information we found the iVillage Gardenweb on Hybrid Willows. This is a forum but you might be interested in what some of the participants have to say about the willow. Also, please read this eHow site on Information on Hybrid Willows.

Frankly, we don't like the non-native willows or hybrids of same, not just because they are non-native but because they are invasive and susceptible to many pests and diseases. They grow fast but are short-lived.