heres a pic of the tag

This is considered a shrub willow, does not have invasive roots and is of minimal concern planted near a foundation or even close to underground plumbing. This specific example is in a "standard" form or the shrub grafted to another willow species. While this is of no particular concern to the foundation (no willows have that issue), it could be problematic if planted close to the inground plumping. Still, the root habit of this type of willow is far less aggressive than those of the tall growing corkscrew or weeping willows.

Thank you gardengal48, there was so much info that was all over the place when researching. I am glad i will not have to move it. How often should i water the willow, i have noticed already i am gettting dead leaves on there after just a few weeks planted.

Depends on how robust the rootstock used is. I have seen some of these grafted on quite different, bigger growing kinds of willows. But you wouldn't expect any S. integra to be stuck on something that wanted to get as big as, for instance a gold-twig willow.

crikey ... why even sell a plant on a standard.. that cant hold itself up ...

anyway ... trees can NOT .. do NOT .. carry small little drills and chisels... to break into modern pvc piping.. nor jackhammers to break thru new cement ...

your house looks brand new .... i doubt.. in your lifetime.. you will have any issue from this plant ... unless your basement/foundation is already cracked ... and then you already have other problems ...

my parents house.. the line to the sewer was adobe pipes.. about 2 or 3 feet long.. packed with oakum ... high tech 1950s ... over the ensuing 50 years.. the oakum dissolved.. and the trees invading the pipes... i just dont see how they can get into modern chemical welded pvc type piping ...

and when a root hits an object.. it goes around it ... unless it finds a pre existing crevice or whole.. that somehow attracts water ... such as what we here in MI would call a MI basement... an old farm basement ... stacked field stone lets say ...

i simply dont see it as an issue ... in your lifetime ...

you need to stake that thing better ... and that does not involve string .. nor guy wires ...

i would get a stake at least as thick.. if not thicker than the trunk... gently guide it right down thru the root mass ... and pound it into the earth once past the root ball you planted ... and then i would take something like old pantyhose... and tie it.. about every 6 inches.. to the stake ... in essence... i would be splinting [think broken arm] ... the entire length of the trunk to a new temporary trunk .... its near impossible to express in words .. and i dont have time to google it for you ... and i would untie and retie it in spring and fall .. until it can hold itself up ....

and this is water under the bridge... a lesson ... not criticism... i would not have bought that plant.. for this reason ... i would have walked right by it.. seeing the nightmare... or i would have paid more... for one with a proper trunk ... ah well.. live and learn ...

ken

Good post Ken!!.....
Couldn't have said it better.....about roots and foundations and staking.....

Don't agree about your comment about the selection of tree, (but some people like it and others don't).....

i think you misunderstand me ian ..

i have wanted this plant for a decade ... [not on a standard mind you]

what i would NOT have bought.. was a plant that can grow 2 or 3 feet per year.. on a quarter inch standard ... yes.. i know i am exaggerating a bit ... to make my point ....

but crikey man.. if it cant hold itself upright with one season growth ..... the grower failed.. dont you think???

ken

ps: i bought a plant this tall once.. with that diameter trunk.. and stringed it up just like this... first summer... yellow/green sky thunder showers rolls thru.. and snapped it right off where the guy wires were attached to the trunk ... thats when i learned also.. to splint the trunk ... rather than guy wire it ... unfortunately.. that is not a tree term.. and unsearchable ... where is +om when you need him????

Ken, just like with any other type of plant, the trunk on a standard (grafted) dappled willow will develop sufficient girth in time to easily support the topgrowth. The stake is only provided as a temporary support, as is the case with just about any other shrub grown as a standard, and as protection for the plant during the shipping and transport process.

And also, the topgrowth on these standard tree-form willows is typically pruned back each season to keep them dense and compact and in proportion to the height. It would look pretty silly to have a 4' tall standard sporting a 6'x6' willow topper!!

Willows like moist soil, but sitting in standing water may drown the roots....I would keep an eye on it .....if leaves start to wilt (like a plant that looks like it needs water).....it is probably drowning....

Just want to add to this older thread. That same willow under the right conditions (root stock may be the factor) can easily go to 18 ft tall by 18ft. I did the exact same thing at my parents house. The tag said 6x6 Inside 5 years it was well over what the tag claimed and now is 30 feet around and close to 20 feet tall. This is with a few hard pruunings. The tree itself is absolutely stunning in late spring. Thankfully the willow wasn't near any water pipes aside from sprinklers and their property slopes down away from the house sharply after the willow so the maim roops followed the water down. I wish I had known how tremendous it would become. I would have planted it further away. I also contacted a professional and sent them a picture due to its size and wanting to know what happened to my cute 6x6 willow. They confirmed the species and said that I had an amazing specimen In ideal growing conditions. I will upload a photo next time I am by their house.

Thanks for posting Bill. Can't wait to see a picture. My dappled willow tree died but I think its because my neighbor but thats a whole other story.

I do have two dappled willow shrubs planted from last year which gets tons of water from my sump pumo discharge line and both are growing amazingly.

A claim of 6 ft. was quite a bit on the small side whether the one specimen was invigorated by the influence of non-dwarf rootstock or not.

Which grafting onto full-sized willows probably does do, same as with grafted dwarf and slow-growing conifers becoming trees with much more horsepower than the original seedlings and branch sports - descriptions of which are what is used to represent what is being offered for sale.

Here is a picture I took today 5/23/15 of my parents dappled willow that I planted between 15 and 20 years ago, it was pruned back about 3 weeks ago according to my parents. They also had a very large branch removed that used to prevent sight of the trunk from this angle. I am standing about 20 feet away from the tree. I wish someone was home so I could have stood next to it for a better contrast. The branch you see the red bird feeder on is between 8 and 10 inches in diameter I would guess. The large branch removal is what caused the uneven dip in the tree canopy. So...the nursery tag of 6x6 was off by a couple of feet lol.

Wow that's huge...Thanks for sharing. I hope mine get that size.