Weeping willow trees are not very uncommon in rural areas. Especially every big garden will have one weeping willow tree, as they add another dimension to their overall look.
However, it is hard to find weeping willow trees in a small garden or an urban area. There might be hundreds of reasons why you cannot find weeping willow trees across all geographic locations or all types of gardens.
However, many would suggest because of their root system, many prefer or do not like weeping willow trees. Let’s explore the weeping willow root system and learn the truth about whether it is invasive.
Weeping Willow Root System Explained
The US Forest Department recognizes Weeping Willow to have a very aggressive, invasive and shallow root system. The root does not penetrate too much into the soil but spreads wide up to three times the length of the tree (trunk to canopy). Thus, Weeping Willow is not a good choice for small gardens.
Weeping willow trees are the choice of big garden owners. The tree is very famous for its very aggressive root system. The roots are aggressive, invasive and located at a shallow depth.
The roots of weeping willow trees are spread over a large area. As a result, many Small garden owners do not prefer growing such trees in their garden.
As there are many types of weeping willow trees, you might find answers differently for each one of them. Here you find whether the following weeping willow trees roots are invasive –
Dwarf weeping willow:
Dwarf weeping willow trees are found in many states. Their roots are only located at a shallow depth. Because of their height, the root system will not spread over a larger area.
These weeping willow trees have root systems that are a little invasive. This means they can penetrate into many but not structures.
Japanese weeping willow:
Japanese weeping willow trees are quite famous for being very attractive. Such trees are spread over larger areas. These root systems are very invasive.
These roots are located at shallow depths. They can penetrate into deep surfaces.
Wisconsin weeping willow:
Wisconsin weeping willow trees can be found in very cold weather. Barns with very large areas are more compatible with this weeping willow tree. Wisconsin Weeping Willow tree roots are very invasive.
You cannot grow many trees near Wisconsin weeping willow trees. Thus if you have a small garden, you should not plant such weeping willow trees in the garden.
So, you can see that almost all types of weeping willow trees are more or less invasive. It is quite surprising that these roots can penetrate into almost any surface. From hard concrete foundations to soft tree roots, all are penetrated by this tree.
If you have a garden where there are plenty of rooms to grow a weeping willow tree that will not destroy other trees and structural foundations, you can. But you may take precautions to protect your other valuable assets.
Does Weeping willow have deep roots?
Weeping Willows are not something to be found in a small garden. Due to their characteristics of wide spreading, they tend to be possessed only by big farms. It is pretty accurate that Weeping Willows are found attractive in seasons like springs.
However, the plant is not particularly favored by farmers. As the tree does not stop by the drain, concrete or any other structures, they infiltrate into any shades and shelters in the arena. It also makes jobs difficult for mowers, including fuel based ones.
A weeping willow tree root can spread up to three times the length of the tree body. And as a result, it will not let grow anything within this boundary where only its roots will rule.
In addition, weeping willow trees are very aggressive and may cause deforestation for other small and even big trees.
Apart from being aggressive and invasive, another quality of the root system of weeping willow trees is that it is very shallow. It means the root network of this tree does not go very deep beneath the surface. You can find the root navigating under a few inches from the surface.
How Deep Are Weeping willow Roots?
Weeping willow trees are more appropriate for big gardens and areas where there are plenty of rooms available for other trees to grow. It is because the root system of this tree does not allow many other trees to be grown near it.
Due to its aggressive root network, small garden owners prefer not to plant in their gardens.
Roots of weeping willow trees spread very quickly into a large area. The network can be three times as wide as its length from the body to the canopy. The speed of spreading is fast because this root network is not very deep.
Weeping willow roots can be found at a shallow depth. From six to nine inches, depending on the soil quality, moisture and texture, the root will be at a depth where it is not very deep from the surface. At this depth, the root network can spread very fast in any direction.
However, it is not uncommon for weeping willow trees to invade any other trees and structures through its root while spreading at the mentioned depth. It is hard to keep structures, foundations and pipe networks safe from possible root penetration.
Do Weeping willow spread or multiply?
Weeping Willow trees normally use seeds to reproduce a new plant. However, you can use a healthy stem of the tree to grow new trees out of it. Both ways are very familiar among tree growers and garden owners.
The root system of weeping willow trees is quite aggressive, shallow and invasive. The root will invade anything that crosses its path, from structures to other tree roots. Thus, not many trees can survive where weeping willow has been grown.
You cannot say that the weeping willow root system multiplies. The tree naturally determines its path and moves towards that. As a result, the root can be found in very wide areas.
You can find roots of the weeping willow in places three times distant from the original height of the tree. Usually, it is 90 to 120 feet from the main tree.
Are Weeping willow Roots Invasive?
Weeping Willow trees can only be seen in big yarns and large gardens. The reason for that is the weeping willow root system spreads over a large area. A tree of 30 feet in height will have a 90 feet wide root system.
The roots are also very aggressive of this plant. That means they can penetrate almost any surface, from hard to soft. Any object that might block their path will be penetrated by the aggressive root system of the weeping willow tree.
The roots of these plants do not go very deep into the soil. You may find their network a couple of inches beneath the surface.
It is also important to mention that weeping willow trees’ root system is very invasive. Such roots can invade any object while spreading their network. In Particular, invading other trees’ roots makes it very difficult to grow many trees near a weeping willow tree.
So, if you have a small garden and you want to grow various types of trees, you must avoid planting weeping willow trees. It will spoil not only different trees and harvests but also prohibit many plants from being grown healthy.
Can Weeping willow roots damage foundation or pipes?
Weeping willow roots can spread over a larger area compared to many other trees. As the usual height of a willow tree is 30 to 40 feet, its root will spread nearly over a hundred meters. It will not allow many other trees to survive in its area of jurisdiction.
Furthermore, such a root system is very aggressive. They are located at a very shallow depth from the surface. Also very invasive, which means they can penetrate into most of the objects they face in front of their spreading path.
It is not uncommon to see weeping willow tree roots have entered into the structure’s foundation and pipes. If such roots enter a pipe or a structure, it certainly loses their longevity and structural strength.
So it is quite true that weeping willow roots can damage foundations and pipes.
Final Thoughts
Weeping willow tree roots are very aggressive, invasive and shallow. The tree can be found at very small depth, but spread over a larger area, about three times the length of the tree body. Such roots can invade any structures or pipes and other tree roots. This tree is suitable for large gardens.