Variegated Willow

Everyone who comes to my house comments on the Japanese Variegated Willow by the driveway. It is light, airy and enormous. Hardy to zone 4, it is in full sun and being on the mountain slope has excellent drainage. The plant tag said it would be 8' by 5' at maturity. Well, let me tell you, it is at least 8 feet high and way more that 5 wide. It is fast growing, to the point that I whack at it (OK, heavily prune) in mid summer every year. Added bonus? The deer won't touch it.

The foliage is mottled green and white with a blush of pink on the new leaves. Bear in mind that it is deciduous so it will be bare in winter. But it does provide winter interest. It is truly spectacular and would work well as a privacy screen. In fact I have often considered taking out the ancient Forsythia hedge by the road and replacing it with a row of these. I think it would look awesome. But I also think it would take a lot of work and I'm too lazy to put in the effort.

Think you might want to try one? You can't go wrong with this, but buy a good pruner at the same time. You are going to need it.

Witch Hazel

I was out to dinner the other day, and the topic of conversation fell to trees. I am not sure how we got there, fall leaves maybe. Anyway, I was telling my scary tree story, you know the one about the tree with the screaming face over by the dead boy bridge…. What, you don’t know about that tree or the dead boy bridge? Goodness, Ok. I’ll come back to that.

ANYWAY, the scary tree story led to a discussion of Halloween images-- crows, haunted houses, ghosts, witches, dead, gnarled, twisted branches raking a leaden sky, dusty tinctures with ancient peeling labels…people that go way overboard in decorating their houses and lawns. You get the picture. After everyone had named all their favorite iconic Halloween images and gossiped about their neighbors, there was a lull in the conversation. I offhandedly mentioned that speaking of tinctures, I have Witch-hazel growing on the property and although it is a leggy shrub, it could fit into the creepy tree category. Astonished by the lifted eyebrows and blank stares I started to tick off it unusual characteristics.


It has small snaky yellow blossoms in October when all other trees bloom in Spring.

It spits seeds for long distances rather than letting them fall to float on the wind.

The inner bark has long been used to brew a tincture to ward off skin ailments and relieve pain.

Its branches were and maybe still are used as dowsing rods to find water or minerals underground.

It is a rebel, grows wild in the woods….

The flow of conversation turned to Witch Hazel from Bugs Bunny abandoning the plant to conversational oblivion.

I like Witch-Hazel and I do have lots of it growing at the top of the property and it is in its glory right now.