Curving and dramatic weeping trees can introduce visual interest to any yard. These trees often appear to be leaning over, making it look like they're weeping. There are many weeping trees to choose from, with profiles that differ in size, color, and shape.
Weeping Juniper
'Tolleson's Blue Weeping' Rocky Mountain juniper is stunning, offering blue-tinted evergreen needles on wonderfully weeping branches. Like other Rocky Mountain junipers, 'Tolleson's Blue Weeping' is a small tree that's very hardy and holds up to heat and drought. It's native to North America.
Name: Juniperus scopulorum 'Tolleson's Blue Weeping'
Size: To 20 feet tall and 10 feet wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil; this plant is drought tolerant.
Zones: 4-7
Native to North America: Yes
Weeping Purple Beech
Among the more dramatic weeping trees, 'Purple Fountain' beechbears bold, purple-black leaves in spring and summer that turn a coppery bronze in autumn. Being tall and skinny, it's perfect for yards of any size.
Name: Fagus sylvatica 'Purple Fountain'
Size: To 30 feet tall and 15 feet wide; very slow growing
Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and moist, well-drained soil
Zones: 5-7
Native to North America: No
Weeping Mulberry
A small tree that's exceptionally easy to grow, weeping mulberry is commonly used by home gardeners and professional landscapers alike.
It features shiny green leaves and pendulous branches that can reach the ground.
Name: Morus alba 'Chaparral'
Size: To 10 feet tall and 12 feet wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil; the plant is drought tolerant.
Zones: 4-8
Native to North America: No
In some areas, this species of mulberry has shown invasive tendencies. Check local restrictions before planting it.
Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar
Weeping blue Atlas cedar is a delightful evergreen with silvery-blue needles and cascading branches. Young trees are sometimes trained into fun shapes, such as the serpentine pattern shown here. Untrained varieties grow large and have irregular forms. They're usually the focal point of the landscape.
Name: Cedrus atlantica 'Glacua Pendula'
Size: To 20 feet tall and wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil; the plant is drought tolerant.
Zones: 6-9
Native to North America: No
Weeping Birch
Grow weeping birch for an amazing presence in your landscape all year long. The tumbling branches and white peeling bark look beautiful in every season. In spring and summer, it offers arrow-shaped green leaves; they turn a brilliant shade of gold in autumn.
Name: Betula pendula 'Youngii'
Size: To 25 feet tall and wide
Growing Condition: Full sun or part shade and moist, well-drained soil; it does best in cool summer climates.
Zones: 2-7
Native to North America: No
Weeping Japanese Larch
Weeping Japanese larch is fun for the landscape. Like the other weeping trees, it offers cascading branches. But, in spring and summer, it shows off emerald-green needles that turn a rich shade of gold every autumn before falling to the ground.
Name: Larix kaempferi 'Diana'
Size: To 20 feet tall and wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and moist, well-drained soil
Zones: 5-7
Native to North America: No
Weeping Redwood
The weeping form of one of the world's tallest trees, weeping redwood grows up but has cascading side branches. The trunk doesn't always grow straight, allowing it to form a unique, imposing figure in the landscape.
Name: Sequoiadendron giganteum 'Pendulum'
Size: To 50 feet tall and 20 feet wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and moist, well-drained soil
Zones: 6-9
Native to North America: Yes
Weeping Crabapple
Many common trees have weeping varieties, including gorgeous spring-blooming crabapples. There are several selections, including 'Louisa', shown here, which features soft pink flowers, golden-yellow fall colors, and showy yellowish fruits.
Name: Malus 'Louisa'
Size: To 15 feet tall and wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil
Zones: 4-8
Native to North America: No
Weeping Norway Spruce
Another fine evergreen tree, weeping Norway spruce, offers rich, dark green needles and lovely drooping branches. It's one of the best evergreens to grow in cold climates and is reputedly one of the most deer resistant.
Name: Picea abies 'Pendula'
Size: To 15 feet tall and wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil
Zones: 3-7
Native to North America: No
Weeping White Pine
A graceful weeping evergreen tree that offers long, soft needles, weeping white pine is perfect for making a focal point in the garden. It has an irregular growth pattern, so no two trees are alike (but all are gorgeous).
Name: Pinus strobus 'Pendula'
Size: To 20 feet tall and wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and moist, well-drained soil
Zones: 3-8
Native to North America: Yes
Weeping Willow
Think about a weeping tree and weeping willow probably comes to mind. This easy-to-grow tree has a graceful shape and attractive golden-yellow fall color. It's one of the faster-growing trees, but that means it's also weak and easily damaged by storms.
Name: Salix alba 'Tristis'
Size: To 75 feet tall and wide
Growing conditions: Full sun and moist to wet soil
Zones: 4-8
Native to North America: No
Willows can be invasive in some areas; check local restrictions before planting them.
Weeping Cherry
A delightful addition to the spring landscape, weeping cherry shows off clusters of white flowers that hang from gracefully cascading branches. The shiny, coppery bark and attractive fall foliage in shades of orange and yellow is beautiful.
Name: Snow Fountains weeping cherry (Prunus 'Snofozam')
Size: To 15 feet tall and 8 feet wide
Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil
Zones: 5-8
Native to North America: No
Japanese Maple
Several varieties of Japanese maple offer branches that droop toward the ground so that you can find the form in plants with burgundy, green, or even gold leaves. Smaller varieties fit well in the border and also work well in containers. 'Red Dragon' is the variety shown here.
Name: Acer palmatum 'Red Dragon'
Size: To 10 feet tall and 12 feet wide; it's a slow grower.
Growing conditions: Full sun or part shade and moist, well-drained soil
Zones: 6-8
Native to North America: No
