Are willow trees safe in the pasture?

[mydaddysjag]

The area where our pasture is tends to lay wet further out from where we are building the barn, and it was suggested we plant a willow tree to soak up some of the water. Are willow trees safe around horses?

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

There are different types of 'willow' and I certainly don't claim to know them all but every type I have ever seen or heard about (true willows not just shrubs/bushes) are entirely fine. In fact I've seen many horses nibble at them without consequence. I believe you should be safe to plant one but if you expect it to get a chance to mature you might consider putting a page wire fence around it to keep the horses from chewing on it and stepping all over it while it is becoming established. Willows will certainly 'drink' a lot of extra water from the soil.

 

[Miniv]

True Weeping Willow Trees are fine, and the horses will keep the lowest leafy branches trimmed just fine.

When planting young ones, I would put up some protective fencing around them until they are older.

P.S. just adding.... when I posted "older", I meant the trees, not the horses. lol.

 

[Katiean]

They sell willow sticks for rabbits to chew on. I really do not think that weeping willow is bad for any animal.

 

[O So]

I have several willow trees. I have had no problems with O So and Pippin eating the leaves. Only bad thing about them is they will up root stuff. We have one by the fence and it has taken up a section. In that spot the fence is about a 6 inches taller then the rest of the fence. It even broke our concrete mow strip. In the other yard it broke an lifted our concrete walk way. So they are really bad for that sort of stuff. I love them though!!

Here is O So doing some trimming before I took over and made them to high for him to reach!

 

[shelia]

You should keep weeping willow trees 100 feet from any septic system, foundation or anything like that you don't want to get damaged. They are such beautiful trees!