Corkscrew Willow

Salix babylonica, weeping willow, is a fast-growing deciduous tree from China, thirty to forty feet in both directions, with the long pendulous branches that give it its name. Slender reddish-brown twigs hang almost to the ground, narrow leaves flush early and hold late, and small catkins open with the new foliage in spring.

Its roots seek water aggressively and are a well-documented cause of blocked drains, lifted paving and damaged foundations — plant it at least fifty feet from any pipe, wall or septic field. It is also short-lived and brittle, dropping limbs in storms. Beside a large pond with nothing to damage it is superb; anywhere near a house it is a liability.