Willow Hybrid Tree

The Fastest-Growing Privacy Tree

The Austree Willow Hybrid is becoming one of the most popular privacy trees in recent memory. They were bred to quickly form a dense wall that blocks out neighbors, noise or construction.

• Fastest growing privacy tree can grow anywhere from 6 to 10 feet each year.
• Disease resistant, tolerant of a variety of growing conditions.
• Easy to grow, with a noninvasive root system.

The Austree Hybrid Willow is a tree you can put to work in your yard! It's a problem-solver for some common trouble spots in many landscapes, such as erosion and wet soil, and it forms a fast-growing green screen for privacy. Best of all, it's a very undemanding tree, so if you like low-maintenance plants, you'll love growing Hybrid Willow Trees!

Phenomenal Growth Rate

With a growth rate of anywhere from 6 to 10 feet each year, you can see how quickly your trees will give you privacy from neighbors or block an unsightly view, unlike other trees and shrubs that take many years to grow tall and fill in thickly. If you live on a corner lot, you're exposed on two sides to street traffic, which doesn't give you too much privacy in the summertime when you want to sit outside or enjoy family activities. Order now so you can get them in the ground as soon as possible, because after your Austree Hybrid Willow Trees arrive on your doorstep, you'll actually be enjoying a full privacy hedge within a couple of years!

A Tall Living Fence

Austree Hybrid Willow Trees can grow from 50 to 70 feet tall, which far exceeds the maximum heights that many homeowners' associations and municipal codes allow for constructed fencing. What if you want a fence that's taller than the maximum allowable height? If you want to define your property lines with an extra-tall (and legal) fence, plant Hybrid Willow Trees!

A Deciduous Gem

The Austree Hybrid Willow Tree is not an evergreen - it's a deciduous tree, which means that it will drop its leaves in fall. But you'll have the best of both worlds: the dense, vibrantly green foliage delivers privacy and shade during warm weather, and the bare branches will let in the sun's warmth during the winter. That mean's you'll save on your utility bills for lower cooling costs in summer and lower heating costs in winter.

Forms a Windbreak

If prevailing winds erode the soil, damage your other plants or allow snowdrifts to form on your driveway or walkways, a windbreak can help buffer the force of the wind and mitigate the problems it causes. Austree Hybrid Willow Trees form effective windbreaks, especially when used in a mixed planting with evergreen shrubs and trees. Because they grow so fast and reach heights of up to 70 feet, Hybrid Willow Trees form windbreaks quickly.

Hint: A strong windbreak is planted as a row that's perpendicular to the direction of the strongest prevailing winds.

Controls Erosion

The Hybrid Willow Tree is also called the Austree Willow, which is a product of a New Zealand plant breeding program. It is the result of crossing two willow species '– the white willow (Salix alba) and the corkscrew willow (Salix matsudana). Among other desirable traits sought, a primary breeding goal was to produce a fast-growing tree that would help reduce erosion on riverbanks. What this means to you is that this tree can also help control erosion in your landscape. If you have a steep slope that sends streams of water into your yard every time it rains or if you have a backyard pond or stream that overflows and erodes the soil during heavy rainfalls, planting Hybrid Willow Trees is the perfect solution for these problem areas!

Tolerates Wet Soil

Wet soil can mean the death of most plants because standing water can cause roots to rot. But Austree Hybrid Willow Trees thrive in moist soils without sustaining any adverse effects of root rot, which means they can be planted along ponds, streams and in low-lying areas of your yard where rain collects.

Caution: Because of their affinity to water, plant Hybrid Willow Trees well away from septic tanks and drain fields. A rule of thumb is that the roots can spread up to four times the width of the canopy or three times the mature height of the tree.

The Importance of a Riparian Buffer

If you live near any of these, Hybrid Willow Trees can actually improve water quality:

• Pond (you may live in a rural or agricultural area with a pond on your property)

• Lake (you may own a lakefront cabin)

• Stream (you may have a backyard stream)

Erosion can cause soil and chemical runoff from fertilizers to enter the water, which can harm fish and other wildlife. If you plant Hybrid Willow Trees as a buffer, the runoff is deposited in this zone instead of entering the water. This buffer zone is called a riparian buffer, and it's important for a healthy environment. Fertilizers may help your lawn and plants to grow, but they also promote excessive growth of algae in bodies of water -- depleting oxygen levels for fish. In a riparian buffer, Hybrid Willow Trees also provide cover, breeding areas and nesting sites for other wildlife. Even fallen branches can provide shelter for small fish and sunning sites for turtles.

Planting and Care Tips

The Hybrid Willow Tree is a perennial in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 4 through 9, where it tolerates winter temperatures to minus 30 degrees F. It requires very little care once established, so if you prefer plants that don't need fussing over, this is a tree for you!

• Sun- Although your Hybrid Willow Tree will prosper in a part-sun location (4 to 6 hours of direct sun daily), it'll grow faster and perform its best if you plant it where it receives full sun -- at least 8 hours of direct sun each day.

• Soil- The Hybrid Willow Tree is very adaptable to many types of soils, and it prefers a slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil, in the pH range of 6.5 to 7.5.

• Water- Moist soil is best; this is not a highly drought-tolerant tree, so you'll need to water it during times of drought. Water newly planted trees frequently -- until their roots become established.

• Mulch- Adding a 3- to 4-inch layer of mulch around your Hybrid Willow Tree '– covering the ground underneath the widest reach of the branches '– will help keep the soil moist.

• Fertilizer- Hybrid Willow Tree grows well in soils with average fertility. A soil test performed by your local Cooperative Extension Service will quickly determine if you need to add nutrients to your planting site, and it will also measure the soil pH.

• Pruning- You won't need to prune your Hybrid Willow Tree to help it maintain its shape. In fact, it's a "self-pruning tree," which means the wind will tend to prune the branches for you! All you'll have to do is pick up the downed limbs and discard them.

• Spacing- If you plant your Hybrid Willow Trees 20 feet apart, you'll have mature trees that touch each other's outer branches -- for a more open look. But if you want a dense screen, space your plants 10 feet apart. And for an even thicker hedge, plant a double row of staggered trees, particularly if you want a windbreak.