Weeping Trees for Moist Soil

Dwarf Trees

• The Ever Red Japanese maple (Acer palmatum "Dissectum Atropurpureum") grows to just 6 feet tall, but its weeping canopy and purple-red foliage make this deciduous tree an attractive specimen plant. Hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 to 8, this Japanese maple thrives in partial to full shade and moist soil. For showy spring flowers and a weeping canopy of red-to-green foliage, plant a "Lavender Twist" redbud. (Cercis canadensis "Lavender Twist). This deciduous cultivar grows to 8 feet tall and prefers moist, well-draining soil. It's hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9 and blooms with dark pink blossoms.

Small Trees

• The weeping acacia (Acacia pendula), an evergreen, grows in moist to dry soil. This Australia native has blue-green foliage that grows in a weeping, oval shape. The weeping acacia blooms with aromatic yellow blossoms in spring and grows to 25 feet. It's hardy in USDA zones 9 to 11. Another Australian tree, the weeping bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis), also grows in moist soil. This 25-foot-tall evergreen has a low canopy of dense, gray-green or light green foliage that's offset by bright red flowers in spring and summer. The weeping bottlebrush is hardy in USDA zones 9 to 11.

Medium Trees

• When young, the weeping katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum f. pendulum) has a pyramidal form that softens into a rounded, weeping canopy with age. This deciduous tree grows to 30 feet tall and wide and has colorful, aromatic foliage that turns red and gold in the fall. The weeping katsura is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8 and requires adequate irrigation. The peppermint tree (Agonis flexuosa) has weeping branches covered with dark, fragrant foliage. Reaching heights of 35 feet, this evergreen blooms in summer with white flowers. It's hardy in USDA zones 9 to 11 and grows in a variety of site conditions, including moist soil.

Tall Trees

• The European white birch (Betula pendula) has an airy, weeping canopy that turns golden in fall. This 50-foot deciduous tree grows in USDA zones 3 to 6, where it prefers moist to wet soil and tolerates full sun to full shade exposures. The "Dalecarlica" cultivar, also called the cutleaf weeping birch, has a more pronounced weeping form. The weeping willow, perhaps the most well-known of all weeping trees, (Salix babylonica) thrives in moist sites. This deciduous tree, hardy in USDA zones 6 to 9, grows to 50 feet and has long, narrow leaves that create a dense, shading canopy. Weeping willows tolerate a range of pH levels and soil types.