" (I actually had a similar situation where I split the tree trunk in 1/2 with a pruning saw)"

I would urge you to ignore this advice. Splitting the trunk in half with a pruning saw will very likely result in the tree's death. And in most municipalities, while you are within your rights to trim anything overhanging your property, you CANNOT do anything that would result in the tree's death. That includes cutting major roots or splitting trunks!! Depending on the governing authorities, you would be liable for the removal and replacement of the dead tree as well as damages........in my area that would be triple damages!

The problem is to find a screening tree that will grow as fast or faster than the willow. bill_minn's advice makes sense - various conifers will grow quite rapidly once established - faster than most deciduous trees and no likelihood of invasiveness (i.e., the Paulownia). And there is not much of a chance of the screening tree shading the willow to the point of death..........:-)

Lol, as usual, ignore everything that Logan suggests!

I think that a coniferous evergreen will make you happy.

Put a Bradford Pear back there and enjoy. They grow fast and have a nice shape.

The tree was planted on my property by the former neighbors. After they decided to top my beautiful sourwood, butcher a nice juniperus virginana, and weed-whack my yuccas (all 2ft from the property line) then they had the nerve to plant a magnolia grandiflora 10' from their swimming pool and 1' past the property line. I gladly split the trunk in 1/2. The whole point was to kill it. While you propbably shouldn't do that yourself, it worked for me. The neighbors moved about 3 months after that. Now I have neighbors who don't want to kill all of my landscape.

BP's are listed as an invasive in Missouri.

Weeping willow in good soil is pribably the fasting growing thing about.

Sycamores and Cottonwoods are both fast and will eventually pass up the willow. Sycamore has neat bark. Some wide old Cottonwoods in the Flood plain by Sioux passage and Kinder's are pretty neat.

Tulip tree (Liriondendron tulipfera, (spelled wrong)) is almost as fast. If you pick in the fall you might get plus fall color as well as neat flowers.

Metasequoia and its yellow leaved cultivar Ogon are fast growing like the Sycamore and Cottonwood. Both are more narrow, they might get 100 foot tall in your lifetime like the ones at the Missouri Botanical Garden, but they are not very wide. Especially Ogon. Leave the lower branches on or prune up as you like.

They won't compete well with the willow and this really isn't a good idea for keeping the peace, but if you share more open fenceline you could mention to your neighbor a desire to plant sweetgum, zoysia or bamboo near the property line. Maybe they hate one or the other.

Yes, tlbean. Plant a tree with fish smelling white flowers, that is invasive and will give you lots of thorny seedlings, and self destruct after 20 years.

I think not!

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But they are so pretty. They are all round in every town they can grow in.

And you can't stop them, so why are even trying, she says, in her most sarcastic voice, LOL!

Downsides over weigh the good things.

Don't plant paulownia. They are an invasive species in most of the United States.

Tulip Poplar is a good option. Fast growing and pretty. A little bit messy, but not as much so as a syamore or willow.

Baldcypress is fast growing, not at all messy, and likes the same kind of moist soil as a willow.

White Pine would probably work but they are messy themselves. Norway Spruce would probably work..

I would do about 3 sweetgums (Liquidambar styraciflua). I planted a 6 incher in the spring and its now 3 + feet tall. With water and light they will definitely go fast...plus maybe some of the spikes will end up in your neighbors yard in a few years.

If you plant a Norway Spruce for example, close to your property line, the roots will eventually use some of the moisture that would otherwise be available to the Willow, helping to slow it's growth, same for the sunlight. I say this because I don't think we need to turn this into a "Tree war" Or Yard war" The main idea here is to find the best solution to keep this neighbors willow tree from becoming a problem for the OP. But then maybe the two point's I just made about the NS will help those that seek revenge sleep better. ;-)

Logan, I'm not sure you are justified in chiding anyone about the use of invasive species!! Lord knows, you certainly contribute your share of recommendations for including invasive species in the landscape as well as your personal attitude about planting and growing them. Until that changes, maybe you should keep your criticisms to yourself. Pot, kettle, black!!!

Gardengal, it isn't the fact that it is invasive that really bugs me. It's just the fact that bradfords are horrible trees, and have many undesirable traits. I would rather have a willow than have to deal with sweetgums..... sweetgums are even worse than bradford pear.

"Sweetgums even worse than bradford pear." Wow! Which would you rather have in your back yard during a severe thunderstorm with your shed and beloved family pets doghouse underneath?

A long, deep root barrier might be appropriate along the property line next to the willow. The willow's roots can be more of a problem than it's overhanging branches.

Still the bradford. I have 2 sweetgums and my neighbor has a bradford pear (that will be removed within the next year) and I know which one is worse. A pet couldn't live under a sweetgum. They would have punctured feet. In all honesty, I hate both trees. I like weeping willow, but the roots can be a problem.

The OP hasn't said whether he/she wants evergreen or deciduous. Around here, there are NO conifers that can out compete deciduous on a one to one basis. I suspect the same is true in MO.

I've preferred evergreen over deciduous, but I've also come to that same conclusion on 1:1 competitiveness. Norway Spruce is one of the few I can think of that does quite well here. Hard to match the speed of a willow though! Thanks.

Bradford all the way. Here is a pic of the "new bradord" or "holmford"

It looks like one of those cheap plastic trees they use on kids model train sets. Absolutely no character.

Bradford pear just seems like an odd choice for this application. Aside from the usual concerns that it is an invasive species that disintegrates in ice storms, it just isn't tall enough to screen a willow. It's major selling point is it is a small pretty tree that tolerates being in those little squares in side walks...you don't have those constraints.

What is better about Holmford, tlbean? Does it not smell of urine when in flower?

It might smell slightly of urine/fish guts buts only if you closely entangle your nose in a bloom. Otherwise, there is no problem! It also had better branching structure and that to-die-for perfect spherical oval shape!

Would a bald cypress be a suitable option for this spot?

Based on your description, yes, bald cypress would work. They like similar growing conditions to willow...if the willow is happy, they likely would be. They get tall enough to block a willow and aren't especially messy. They question is if you have space for one.

There is a reason the BC grows NATURALLY in swamps/standing water/saturated ground, virtually nothing else competes with it, and it is king of it's domain. Put it in mesic conditions and it grows very well, but no way can it compete with existing deciduous trees, and the same can be said for DR.

I don't think a willow ( a water-loving tree) and bald cypress (another water-loving tree) are going to coexist. Maybe they will both die of drought LOL. Tlbean, just go away. I can smell bradford pears in the spring and not even see them.

You go away!

They are plenty planted around here and i have never smelled anything.

"You go away!" I had a reason to say that. I think you need to "go away" and see a doctor because you apparently cannot smell. 'Holmford' does smell. The main reason I hate this tree is because of the smell.

Your an amateur at best who give horrible advice. The trees are only in bloom are a few weeks at most. Then you get the pretty, shiny, blemish free leaves for the rest of the season. Not to mention fall color.

What about texas redbud? Callery pear fall color comes WAY TOO LATE. I had Christmas decor up for WEEKS before bradfords started turning.

"Your an amateur at best who give horrible advice"

First of all it's you're

"...give horrible advice." Says the person suggesting bradford pear

"Your an amateur at best..." At least I was contributing helpful info and suggestions

Ok, you got me that time but i still loves the callery's. They are in fall color here.

Other trees are only colored up a few weeks and then drop their leaves while the pears are still going.

lol

I would put no stock whatsoever in suggestions given by someone recommending planting a callery pear (Bradford, etc) as a solution to this problem. When I first read it, I thought it almost had to be a satirical recommendation. After reading it through twice, I'm still not sure. Anyway, it's absolutely horrid advice!

Everybody needs to lighten up. Its all in fun.

My faviorite noxious weed is better than your favorite noxious weed.

pennlake should win "houzz comment of the year" for that LOL

A second large deciduous tree planted where it's going to collide with another is going to produce an unpleasant visual. Whereas an evergreen kind would hide the first one from the side O.P. will be looking from.

And actually form a nice contrasting backdrop for the willow when seen from the neighbor's vantage point.

Until it starts to push the willow aside more.

Any evergreen tree that you can get to shoot up in your climate, produce a reasonably attractive specimen is what you want for this.

I would try harder to work with the neighbor to solve the differences. Life is so much better if you're on good terms, rather than bad, with your neighbors.

So now you are suggesting poisoning a neighbor's tree? If this forum had an active administrator, this is what gets you kicked off permanently.

Gosh, Logan - can you please refrain from giving out such poorly considered and unethical advice?? I seriously wonder about your ability as a gardener and why you bother to participate in these forums when 95% of what you post is just garbage. You are becoming a joke.

ETA: weeping willows in the right situation grow faster than just about any other tree, conifer or not. That still doesn't eliminate the use of a relatively fast growing conifer - and there are quite a number - to provide effective screening of the willow. No one said you have to 'match' growth rates.

And I agree 100% with Sara. What you suggest is against the law. Period! On a moderated forum you would have been removed. Not such a bad idea, anyway.

Finding a fast enough growing evergreen for your area is a problem. Leyland cypress is fast but a messy disaster. White pine is fast and native but messy...although not a terrible idea. Norway Spruce isn't quite as fast and non-native but less messy. It would help to know if the soil is swampy.

Logan has deleted his post about killing the neighbour's tree. Or possibly someone flagged it and Houzz removed it.

I removed it, so there wouldn't be a world war 3 on the internet.

I have a similar problem along the south side of my yard, where there are 3 large Silver maples flanking the property line. Two are on the neighbor's side and one is on my side.

Acer saccharinum is a fabulous tree but it is difficult to grow anything under the shady canopies and in the root zones of these trees. They're water hogs and have aggressive roots and probably shouldn't be planted anywhere near human structures, septic systems or sewer lines, or gardens. I can only imagine that Salix babylonica is even worse.

I've planted Grey dogwood, American hemlock, 'Dark Green' and 'Green Giant' Arborvitae, Forsythia, Cornus alternifolia, crabapples, American hazelnut, and others along this border and most are hanging in there/doing ok, but I had some dieback in the drought this past summer and no doubt they would be growing so much better if they didn't have to compete with big Silver maples!

I will probably attempt to do some root pruning of the silver maple roots next year to reduce competition with the smaller shrubs and trees.

Can't hurt to root prune, terene. I hate silver maples, and I would have the ones on my side removed and the others cut back even with the property line.

I can't possibly hate a native tree that has so many benefits to wildlife. But I would never have planted the big one in my yard which was originally planted by the previous owner's father 50 years ago. It is ridiculous position, as it's about 20 ft from the southwest corner of the house and also about 20 ft from the front septic system. I have to treat the septic with copper sulfate every couple years to kill back the roots.

I would remove it in a heartbeat except that it provides nice summer shade on that corner, and I am planning to move within a couple years to a smaller house - and so don't want to spend more $ on tree removal.

Speaking from experience, any neighbor with weeping willow trees in their yard is an ignorant jerk! I have been dealing with having THREE ravaged, disease riddled, unsafe willows just inside the neighbors property line for years. Repeated damage to my property, barn, fence and pool pump AND these jerks refuse to step up and assume any accountability. To be clear, my barn and fences have been around longer than those d@mn trees!

The attached picture is a LIMB that resulted in thousands of dollars in damage which I had to pay for.... After years of dealing with the continual mess and ongoing property damage I am now filing a lawsuit to force the removal of the three trees. Usually willow trees = ignorant landowners!