Not tolerant of drouth , the Australian hybrid willow tree establishes and grows promptly in any prolific soil that is close to a seed of moisture . It is easily misidentified as other non - dolourous willow tree species , and it create seedlings with an equivocal blend of parent tree characteristics . It reputedly grows successfully in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 9 , although wintertime stale and high twist can be problematic .
History
The New Zealand Department of Science and Industrial Research created this tree by genetically crossing the white-hot willow ( Salix alba ) with tears willow ( Salix matsudana ) . Nine clones , all believe to be male , were released over three 10 in the latter 20th one C and imported into Australia for use as windbreaks . Australians call this Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree " New Zealand hybrid willow " while North Americans lie with it as the " Australian hybrid willow tree " or by the hallmark name Austree .
Size
Fast - growing , Australian hybrid willow tree becomes an upright plant that matures at 40 to 70 feet tall and no more than 15 to 20 feet wide . It develops a shallow , wide - reaching tooth root system that profit when dampish soil pockets are encountered .
Features
This deciduous tree ’s bark is fissure and grayish brown . The lance - like leaves are light green to pale bluish green . No branches weep , and the tree diagram has a noticeable " tip " at the top , according to the Colorado State University Extension Service . Long lily-white and pale yellow catkins ( petite flower clump that look like elongated cat ) occur in other spring as the new leaves emerge . These ament comprise either all male person or all female bloom . Any Australian intercrossed willow tree marketed the Austree name is supposed to be an all male - flowering knockoff .
Uses
Australian hybrid willow ’s truehearted ontogeny pace makes it a theoretic excellent pick to create a windbreak or shelterbelt in open landscape as well as erosion restraint or noise and dust hiatus . Overall it is not an attractive Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree worthy for garden use . It provides light shade or wildlife cover charge / home ground in surface area where the dirt is dampish to soggy .
Concerns
accord to the National Weeds Strategy of Australia and the New South Wales Flora Online , Australian hybrid willow tree is regarded as a noxious weed in southeastern Australia . It promptly hybridizes with other willow tree species and distribute its seeds in the wind and then germinates faithfully in dampish soils . Any twig segment also potentially ascendent and develops into a new flora if leave in contact with warm moist soil . The Colorado State University Extension Service say the tree is rather dead - lived , weak wooded and in dry soil quickly succumbs to fungal cankers and often put up branch dice - back from cold wintertime .
