Help-Dappled Willow leaves turning brown!

17 years ago

My dappled willow, in tree form, has been living very happily for 3 years in my front yard--facing east. The tree leafed out as usual, but today I noticed that on one half of the tree, all the leaves have completely turned brown. The leaves are still soft, not crunchy, and when I scraped a tiny bit of bark with my nail on several different branches, there was still green underneath.

Anyone have any idea what's the problem? We've had rain, although, not alot and we haven't yet turned on our sprinklers...so it could be that it hasn't been getting enough water (although, we're clay based here, so moisture usually isn't a problem). I just found it odd that only one half of the tree is brown.

No injuries, that I can see, to the trunk and I haven't planted anything around it, so the roots have not been disturbed.

Any thoughts? Please tell me it's not dying--I love my tree!

Thanks!

Lisa

Featured Answer

pauline_gardener

17 years ago

I too have a tree that almost half is turning brown and the leaves are curling. That tree gets full sun - lots of water and was trimmed back in April. Seeing a lot of branches that show leaves then bald spot then leaves at the tip. It is about 4 years old.

In the front with a northern exposure I have two more of the same. Both were trimmed in early April. One gets full sun and the other afternoon sun.

The full sun one is near the road where in winter the salt from the road is put on it. The other is in a raised flower bed next to the house. Neither of these have developed any leaves yet my neighbors is beautiful.

Any ideas?

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Comments (13)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
17 years ago
the hard frost you had a week or two ago ...????

and stop scratching the bark .. one scratch was more than enough .. geeeeeezzzzz

give it a couple weeks ... all my ash... some baby pinus... the chestnuts... and most of my 1500 hosta are showing the effects ... they are slowly but surely releafing....

the problem .. is that the real damage doesn't show up for so many days after.. that we forget about the frost... if you ever knew it was there ...

and if you figure out how to kill a willow... let us know... lol ... i wouldn't worry about it.. most trees will sprout from the trunk .. if not grafted stock.. and no one grafts willow since the root so easily .... unless you have some rare willlow ....

good luck... ken
lisa_mich
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks, I suppose it could be the front, but I'm not sure...NOTHING else has any problems, including the 3 hostas directly under the tree, the 2 daylilies and 3 coral bells all in the same bed--and it's only 1/2 of the tree.

I kid you not, it's ONE HALF of the tree--it's the strangest thing...it's not sporatic branches with brown leaves, it's half the tree!

Thanks for your reply, I'll give it some time, but as I am an impatient gardener (can't everything just come up already!!!!) I'll be standing next to it, hands on hip, tapping my toe waiting for new shoots....C'mon already!

Ha!

Thanks again,
Lisa
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dilly_dally
15 years ago
I hate to dredge up an old thread but I am having the same problem with my dappled willow. One half of it has turned brown and looks like it is dying. Actually I think it is dead. The other half if fine. This started last year and I thought it would recover, but no. I cut off all the dead branches and now have a weird looking half tree that looks healthy.

The tree is in the middle of the yard. My only guess is maybe salt from shoveling the sidewalk, that gets piled near one side of the tree and not the other. But I would think salt in the soil would kill a whole plant not just kill half of it?

There are lots of shoots coming from the trunk. I suppose I could start over rooting a new tree.
danjenner
13 years ago
I have noticed that my willow has had the same problem, first time around April, the tree recovered with new leaves but I have noticed this week that again the leaves are turning brown and drying out. I have also noticed three other willows in my area with the same problem however no other plants or trees have the same effects. I was wondering if there was something in the air that may have affected the leaves or some type of insect although I can not see anything on the affected leaves. Has anyone had this problem again since April?
gary robbins
7 years ago
Leaves turning brown what should I do?
kimmq
7 years ago
Tree, and shrub, leaves start growing in the spring and then the temperature drops well below frost and that kills those leaves and they turn brown and die. The trees will leaf out again without you doing anything.

What kind of temperatures have you had? Anything close to a frost?

kimmq is kimmsr
santonio98
7 years ago
Here in Ma.we had a early warm up and then a frost, the Dappled Willow i have leafed out nicely then all the leaves turned brown, and i also noticed the Bark split vertically in two places. So now its the end of May 2016 and i see new leaves coming out and if i scrape the outer bark its green underneath, so its alive. I am trying to figure what to do with the split bark issue.
Elmo M.
3 years ago
Yep. 1/2 of my Nashiki Dapple Willow is completely dead. Other half healthy and thriving. It just came in like that this spring (a 4 year old shrub). Dead/live line is pretty much right down the middle. It's now August and "dead half" is definitely dead. I'll likely pull it out next spring because it's just no longer full and attractive. St. Paul,
HU-726911967
3 years ago
I have the same problem. It is completely brown in the centre and healthy above and below. Help! If it is only because it is too dry, will the tree recover or should all the “dead” stuff be cut out? Gail D Ontario Canada.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
3 years ago
it would be best.. to start your own post.. and add pictures ... as well as big city location
Kathryn Buchovecky
2 years ago
I planted a new dappled willow about a week ago and watered the heck out of it. Then it rained for two days. Then a frost occurred. The poor thing has 3/4 leaves brown and curled. I'm hoping the above advice to let it alone is correct. I live half way between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in PA.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
2 years ago
frost is frost ...

an established plant can recover ... releaf ..

since your is a new transplant.. its hard to predict anything with any precision ... ONLY TIME WILL TELL ...

and in the meantime.. there is nothing you can do but wait ... and water properly ...

hard to kill a willow.. have some faith ...

you dont mention size ... perhaps a pic might help ...

ken