Globe willow Tree Pros and Cons, Growth rate, Zone, Problems

Salix matsudana 'Navajo', often known as the globe willow, is a rapidly growing tree with a canopy that resembles a globe. They are also known as Hankow willows and are indigenous to eastern Asia. Globe willows provide great shade trees for parks, lawns, and areas near lakes and streams. They are among the earliest trees to begin their springtime leaf-out.

A single trunk and a circular, upright growth habit distinguish the globe willow from other weeping willows. Although it is native to China, the globe willow also survives in the Great Lakes region and the desert southwest of the United States.

Globe willow Tree Pros and Cons

Unlike other willows, the Navajo Globe Willow's branches grow upwards instead of downwards. This is one of the tree's most fascinating characteristics. There is no need of canopy pruning because the crown naturally takes the form of a flawless and spherical dome. This shape is always kept in perfect condition.

The evergreen leaves of this deciduous tree feature undersides that are a bright silvery green, and every spring they appear, bringing the tree back to life. This tree is fascinating whether or not its leaves are present due to the light green bark on the branches and trunk, which furrows and becomes more fissured as the tree matures. The cultivation of this tree ensures decades of shade and beauty.

Globe willows are commonly used as decorative trees and shade trees in lawns. However, if globe willows are planted too close to structures, their enormous root systems obstruct plumbing and sewage lines.

Globe willow Tree Growth Rate

Willows grow between 20 to 70 feet in height and 35 to 70 feet in width. In the spring, the leaves are thin and bright green.  Both the flowers and the fruit are difficult to spot.

With a growth rate of 3 feet per year, globe willow trees can live for 40 to 150 years, growing up to 70 feet tall with a canopy spread of same as height. Young trees possess yellow branches and bark, which mature to an olive-green hue. The trunk circumference of certain globe willow trees reaches 150 inches. The bottlebrush-shaped spring flowers are accompanied in the summer by the appearance of brown capsule fruits.

Globe willow Tree Zone

This drought-resistant kind of willow is known as the "Globe Willow Tree" because of its unusual umbrella-like form. Globe willows grow in a wide range of soils and locations, and they are a beautiful focal point in a home landscape all year long. These trees are perennials that mostly survive in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 10.

Globe willows thrive in damp, sunny, or partly shaded regions. Regular watering (every 1.5–2.5 weeks) is required to meet their watering needs. In extremely cold conditions, globe willows are susceptible to cold damage. 

Globe willow Tree Problems

Globe willows are able to withstand the effects of verticillium wilt, but they are vulnerable to other pests and diseases, including anthracnose, blights, rots, rust, and sooty mold. A fungicide or pesticide is frequently used as a form of treatment. Among the most significant problems is frothy flux, a slimy, odorous, viscous substance that oozes from tree tissues and destroys young and old trees within a few years. The only cure is the complete removal of the affected area, down to the wood, including all damaged and decaying tissue. Globe willows are also vulnerable to Cytospora cankers and bacterial wet wood disease.