Make a sweeping statement with the graceful silhouette of weeping cherries, birches, and dogwoods.
Dramatic, elegant, and serene, nothing in the garden draws the eye quite like the sculpture of a weeping tree. Even on a still day, cascading branches create a sense of airiness and movement in the garden that evoke the potential of rustling leaves, a whisper of wind about the edges that is both stirring and peaceful.
Weeping cherry
Weeping cherry trees offer a wondrous spectacle in spring that most would travel far and wide for. Snowy white or rose-pink blossoms fall like silk ribbons caught in slow wind, creating an atmospheric point of interest in the garden.
Tasmania’s chilly winters and sunny springs make the perfect growing conditions for weeping cherries, and the best part is they require little to no pruning. In late winter to early spring, consider removing dead or diseased branches, crossing growth and suckers. An application of slow-release fertiliser in September will encourage buds and mulch in November will help to retain moisture in the summer months.
Aspect: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained soil
Exposure: Sheltered from wind
Water: Moderately drought-tolerant once established
Cheal’s Weeping Cherry – 4m
Prunus subhirtella Pendula White – 3m
Weeping silver birch
With its shimmering green foliage and striking silver-white bark, it’s easy to see why the weeping silver birch has become a beloved feature in Tasmanian gardens. Whether gracing a small courtyard or standing proudly in a larger landscape, its graceful form makes it an ideal specimen tree. When planted near a gentle stream or paired with the sound of slow-moving water, the effect is almost transportive, evoking the quiet magic of an enchanted wood.
The weeping silver birch is a hardy tree in cooler climates, requiring lots of moisture and mulch, much like a woodland forest. Once established, however, it requires little maintenance other than mulching and consistent watering in the summer months.
Aspect: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Moist, well-drained soil
Exposure: Sheltered from drying winds
Water: Requires consistent moisture and a cool root zone
Betula pendula youngii – 4-8m
Weeping dogwood
If Cornus kousa Weavers Weeping entered a beauty pageant, it would win without contest. This graceful weeping dogwood provides year-round interest. From late spring to early summer, it puts on an elegant and effortless show of star-shaped white bracts that last for weeks. The bracts often take on a pink to raspberry tint in summer, followed by bird-attracting fruit. Come autumn, its distinctive green leaves turn russet orange and burnished red, and in winter, the tree reveals its final masterpiece: a handsome speckled bark that looks like a painting by Claude Monet.
The weeping dogwood thrives in Tasmania’s cool and moist climate. Young trees require consistent and deep watering for the first three years, so long as the soil is well-draining. They do not tolerate waterlogged and compacted sites. Once established, however, they require only occasional deep watering in dry spells.
Aspect: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Moist, well-drained soil enriched with organic matter
Exposure: Sheltered from strong, salt-laden winds
Water: Requires consistent moisture but hates soggy roots
Cornus kousa ‘Weavers Weeping’ – 4-6m
