hardy weeping tree?

[Kindergardener]

I want to find a weeping tree to plant beside the entrance to our driveway, in memory of my in laws. We have a weeping pussy willow on one side, and it is doing ok. I wanted something similar, but just a bit different, to match the willow, for the other side of the driveway. I planted a weeping cherry on the other side but it did not do well; it is very windy there most of the time, there is a lot of exposure to the elements, and the ground is heavy clay. It was there for two years and struggled; last year we had a nasty cold spell late in the spring which killed the flower buds, then over the winter the deer chewed on it, and it still survived to produce flower buds this spring, but we had another cold snap very late in the season, and that finished it off. The nursery tree guy says he doesn't think any weeping trees will do well there. Also, before the cherry, I planted two Golden Rain trees in the same spot. they both died over a couple of years, also. Any suggestions?

 

[patandchickens]

Er, well, the first consideration if you want hardy is probably to tell us what zone you need it to be hardy *to* From the things that you planted that croaked I am guessing z6-7?

There is always weeping Caragana (siberian peashrub). It's not my thing, but then none of the weeping trees are really much my thing anyhow so I am not a good judge I guess. It is BONE-hardy as far as cold and wind goes. When it sleeps at night it dreams of rather sandy soil not clay, but it is so can't-kill-it-with-a-stick that as long as your clayey soil is not actually flooded for any part of the year, it should do fine. It has small oval pealike leaves and yellow pealike flowers.

That's probably the only really good shot I can think of. Except of course you could just accede to the inevitable and install a second weeping pussywillow

Good luck,

Pat

 

[beefy]

try a weeping yaupon, they are practically indestructable.

http://www.rcwnurseries.com/Trees/weepingyauponholly.htm

(ps i dont think they are this expensive eveywhere)

 

[Kindergardener]

Whoops, sorry, we are in Zone 5. Thanks for the suggestions thus far.

 

[robbobbin]

I have a contorted weeping 'covey' redbud. Their good to -23f they say. I'm in zone 5 and have had it in the ground now through 2 winters.
Their kind of pricey for a redbud. The regular redbud trees grow like weeds here. But if it makes it,I'll have something "special".

This website http://www.soonerplantfarm.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plant_id=431 says
A 5-6 foot tall specimen was said to be sold at a plant auction for $1600.00 several years ago.

check it out

 

[Kindergardener]

I love the weeping redbud! (I have one, too...
The same nursery tree guy told me that it would do better our wooded front yard, where it gets a lot more shelter. It's very happy there, and has been beautiful two years in a row.