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Guernsey Donkey2
Posts: 6,713
in Plants
On our walk at the w/end we saw these two feature trees growing in a nearby garden. Obviously a weeping something but what? The branches if you can call them that were incredibly dense.
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Looks like Salix caprea pendula...common name Kilmarnock willow.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=salix+caprea+pendula&rlz=1C1GNAM_en-GBGB687GB687&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiGxbGdreLXAhXECMAKHW3IB_EQ_AUICigB&biw=1536&bih=759
I think you should nip round and give the owners some pruning advice GD
In the sticks near Peterborough
I would prune it at grass level - well, maybe leave a wee stump to help pull out the roots. Horrible plants which push our far too dense a canopy of dull brown stems covered in dull foliage for a few months of the year.
They really aren't very attractive plants. I had one in a previous garden and just took individual branches out now and again. At least it had other planting round it to detract from the plainness of it through summer.
Horrible when people do that though. It's even worse when it's done to things like Acers.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
The roots are never strong enough for the top heavy branches.
So it needs to be staked for ever.
It can sucker as can be seen in pics.
The inside branches die and are a nightmare to prune out.
The leaves are not attractive and do not colour well in the autumn.
It should bear wooly fluffy catkins but doesn't perform well.
We had one near our back door in our old home
The only reason it was not removed is our bird feeder was next to it and the birds loved the protection it offered.
I would never plant another.
Obelixx has the right idea of pruning them at grass level.
Do not be tempted to get one.
They're naff at any time but pruned like that takes them one step further
In the sticks near Peterborough
I think you can see by the state of the garden (and the house) that no care has been spent on either (oops have I said too much?). I would imagine that the birds would love these trees if they were pruned out considerably. Maybe I should go along with my secateurs at the dead of night...! The canopy reminds me of the roofing on a basic African mud hut from my childhood picture book.