Animal damage -- I guess in theory a porcupine might, they sometimes chew bark, I THINK. They don't live around here, so I'm not sure.

More likely either wind/snow/storm/ice damage. Willows are notoriously weak wood, and they break easily.

Yes, the broken branches will probably root in moist soil. Long term, you are probably setting yourself up for more of the same. DEFINITELY a tree to keep far, far away from any structures or driveways, so that when the inevitable happens there isn't expensive collateral damage.

they are notoriously weak wooded..

for all we know ... a skunk sneezed .... and it broke the leader ..

you should think long and hard .... about planting a lot of willow ... because there is no reason.. every one you plant.. will do this.. in any wind storm ... severe or not ...plus rain.. hail .. snow load.. ice... etc ...

i moved to get away from a giant willow at the old house .. lol ..

ken

ps: animals are not stupid.. they do not climb until the tree breaks ... they kinda figure it out sooner.. rather than later ... and there is nothing up there an animal would want ... unless it was some flying beaver ...

Flying beavers aside, porcupine is a reasonable guess, if it was indeed a critter. They gnaw on a wide variety of trees although they are especially troublesome on conifers, especially your favorite conifers. They really mess with those!

I love the look of a big weeping willow, especially in the winter when the golden twig color predominates. Especially too, I love them from a distance, on someone else's property!

+oM

We found out that it was a moose that caused the damage to the tree and more damage this past week.

Many thanks to all who responded!

a climbing moose ... lol .. those pesky 1500 pound animals sneaking around.. lol ..

you might want to be sure there isnt a squirrel hanging around..

check out the link for proper ID ...

and have a great day ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:343822}}

Moose are tall... its definitely possible they wrecked an 8 foot tree.

Moose snacks, eh. Makes sense.

How do you keep a moose away from something it wants to eat? Given their size and strength, you probably don't.

How do you keep a moose away from something it wants to eat?

===>>> secret russian agent???

ken

My weeping willow trees constanting have porcupines at night. At first I thought it was deer causing the damage, until I saw where the limbs were chewed off 30ft up in the tree,,,lol. So I went out at night & sure enough, those porcupines love the bark on those new branches & end up chewing them off,,,have 2 trees being severly damaged right now. So without shooting them, how do I keep them off the tree?,,,perhaps barbed wire?

Here on southern Maine I found many green branches were being cut off Weeping Willow April and May. So much that I didn't think the tree would live another two years. I found out after getting rid of ground hpgs, porcupines, skunks and opossums that it was 8 grey squirrels doing the deed. They just climb and bite the branch off...no reason. Was like catnip to them. So far I dispatched all but one and willow tree is doing much better. I will get yhe last one eventually...I am retired.

CJ Daigle, growing up, gray squirrels would do the same to the American elm as it was leafing out in our yard. Of course, that tree was eventually killed by Dutch Elm Disease.