Weeping willows are also known as Babylon willows and are a particular species of willow native to northern China. These trees are deciduous trees that grow to be about 66-82 feet tall and live for about 40-75 years.
Weeping willows can be recognized easily by their beautiful flower catkins that show up early in the spring.
Do weeping willows lose their leaves?
Weeping willows are deciduous trees. It is natural for deciduous trees to shed their leaves from fall to spring. Moreover, during summer, weeping willows lose their leaves as there are droughts during that time. Frequent irrigation can help prevent weeping willows from losing their leaves.
As mentioned earlier, weeping willows are deciduous trees. Therefore, these trees are expected to drop their leaves from fall to spring. These trees shed their leaves during the winter like other deciduous trees.
In the fall:
In fall, the leaves of weeping willows turn yellow. Unlike other trees, the leaves of weeping willows do not fall even though they turn yellow. The tree sheds leaves during the whole fall until winter.
In the winter:
During winter, weeping willows drop all their leaves as it is deciduous tree. However, it is among the few trees that produce leaves in the spring before any other trees.
After winter, leaves appear on weeping willows during March or April, giving a green hue to the bare branches.
In summer:
Most plants and trees do not survive the hot, dry summer. The hot, dry weather stresses young plants and trees and causes them to expire. Therefore, most people plant shrubs in the summer and plant plants and trees in the spring.
Similarly, willow trees have a chance of expiring during the summer due to drought and high temperatures. Therefore, weeping willows shed their leaves in summer during periods of drought.
Weeping willows may not live through summer. To stay alive, they require a lot of water and frequent irrigation.
Do weeping willows go dormant?
During the fall, weeping willows shed their leaves at a slow pace. The leaves turn yellow and fall one after another. In winter, weeping willows drop all their leaves as it is a deciduous tree.
During the winter season, the tree loses all of its leaves. Along with the leaves, weeping willows also drop the flowers and buds. The tree stops producing leaves to replace the fallen ones, and the branches remain bare throughout winter.
Weeping willows, therefore, enter a state of dormancy during the winter season. They stop growing and remain inactive throughout the cold days of the winter season.
Why are the leaves falling off my weeping willow?
There are various reasons why leaves may fall off weeping willows. Some of the reasons are given below:
Diseases:
Several diseases can cause the falling of leaves. For example, foliar disease is a disease among trees. This disease is caused by harmful fungus, viruses, and bacteria living on leaves. They cause yellowing of leaves and cause the leaves to fall.
Another example is root diseases. Various root diseases can cause leaves to become unexpectedly yellow and expire.
Infestation:
Most plants and trees often cease to exist because of infestations by different pests and insects. Infestations are harmful to plants and can have fatal consequences. If you notice that your willow tree is losing leaves, it could be due to an infestation.
In such a case, you can use pesticides and insecticides in proper amounts for removing pests and insects from your tree.
Exposed to prolonged wetness:
Weeping willows have widespread root systems which require a lot of water. However, if they are in wet soil with no proper drainage, the willow tree may cease to live.
Although weeping willows need a lot of water, exposure to prolonged wetness can cause the leaves to fall and the tree to expire.
Improperly planted:
It is significant to plant weeping willows correctly. If you have planted your willow tree too deep, it will affect the tree physiologically. Planting willow trees too deep in the ground will cause the tree to decline and hamper its growth.
Slowly, it will cease to exist.
These are some of the reasons why the leaves of your weeping willow may be falling. Always keep the soil fertilized, provide enough water, and apply enough insecticides and pesticides to keep the willow tree healthy.
What month do willow trees lose their leaves?
Willow trees are deciduous trees. They shed their leaves annually at different times of the year. Weeping willows usually shed their leaves during fall, winter, and summer.
In March, willow trees instantly start producing leaves to replace the fallen ones. The new green leaves give a greenish hue to the branches. The tree keeps growing till late June.
After spring, willow trees lose their trees from July to September. During the summer droughts, weeping willows shed their leaves to survive. When they get enough water, they do not shed their leaves.
From September to November, weeping willows shed their leaves gradually. The leaves turn yellow and slowly start falling from the trees. The leaves, flowers, and buds start falling, and the branches slowly turn bare due to the absence of leaves.
After fall, weeping willows completely lose all their leaves again in March. In the winter, willows stop growing and enter dormancy, and throughout the whole season, they remain inactive.
Why is my willow tree losing leaves in June?
Willow trees may lose trees in June for two prominent reasons. One reason is infestation by pests and insects, and the other reason is temperature change.
As mentioned earlier, infestations are deteriorating for plants and trees. Several pests and insects can live in your willow tree and cause it to expire. They can also damage the root system and permanently damage the willow tree beyond repair.
If you suspect that your willow tree has a pest or insect infestation, use pesticides and insecticides in proper amounts. Pesticides and insecticides will rid all the insects and pests, saving the willow tree.
In June and July, the temperature often rises significantly in certain regions. For example, during heat waves, droughts take place. At that time, most plants cease to live.
Most willow trees do not get through the hot days of summer. During great heat, willow trees drop their leaves to survive. You can provide frequent irrigations to the willow tree to prevent the shedding of leaves.
How do you bring a weeping willow back to life?
Bringing a weeping willow back to life can be challenging. You can follow the methods below to revive your weeping willow tree.
Watering the tree:
Frequently watering the willow tree can help bring the tree back to life. If the tree has put up with drought and lost all its leaves, you can provide irrigation to make the soil moist.
Also, you can water the soil around the tree in a routine so that the earth is wet but not soggy. If the willow tree starts producing leaves again, you have brought the tree back to life.
Removing diseased parts:
Most of the time, willow trees cease to exist because of diseases. If your tree has an illness, you can separate the infected parts to avoid spreading. You can use a handsaw or a sharp knife to cut the diseased parts from the tree.
Then, rake the pieces away from the tree. If done correctly, the tree will start growing again.
Applying mulch and fertilizer:
After a drought, soil loses most nutrients. To overcome this lack of necessary nutrients, you can provide mulch and fertilizers to the roots of the willow tree. Provide sufficient fertilizer with water, and the soil will gain the necessities.
Then, the tree can absorb these nutrients and use them to flourish again.
Ensure drainage:
If the soil is soggy, willow trees will not live. Weeping willows need wet soil and plenty of water. However, they should not be exposed to excessively wet soils. Therefore, you will have to ensure that the excess water is drained.
Draining the excess water will help the willow tree thrive again.
The above methods are some of the ways that have worked for most people. You can try using them to help your willow tree thrive again.
Final Thoughts
Weeping willows are trees that can survive through most environments and conditions. If you can provide enough water to your willow tree, it will live through any weather. As willow trees are deciduous trees, they shed their leaves annually in winter, fall, and sometimes in summer.