Knowledgebase

Identify an issue #845891

Asked August 16, 2023, 10:57 AM EDT

I am wondering what this is. It is in the weed line between the lawn and pond. It is also popping up in the yard some area are 50 feet from the weedline. They are very hard to pull and seem to be sprouting from a main root tunneling through the yard.

Anoka County Minnesota

Expert Response

Thanks for your question.

This is a Sandbar Willow (Salix interior). Since you made a reference to a larger root, I suspect that these are suckers from that root. As you observed these suckers can be quite far from the actual water’s edge. I would expect that you found many of these plants by the pond. See the following for further information:

https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/shrub/sandbar-willow

https://trees.umn.edu/sandbar-willow-salix-interior

http://www.minnesotaseasons.com/Plants/sandbar_willow.html

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SAIN3

Thanks for using our forum.

An Ask Extension Expert Replied August 16, 2023, 4:59 PM EDT
That is what I thought. Since I emailed I have been researching them. Is it accurate that they are spread by seed? Do they also spread by roots? 

What it the best way to prevent them from growing in the lawn. They grow way faster than the lawn and have been a problem. They grow weekly in the lawn and landscape rocks. Some have also popped up between the foundation of the home and patio pavers. 

Being they are not a broadleaf they will not be affected by herbicide. Other chemicals will kill the grass surrounding. Plus I don’t want to use excessive chemicals along the pond.  

The property is along a pond and they are plentiful around the pond. I don’t think it would be good to remove them from the shore line because the vegetation is providing a buffer preventing geese in the yard. 

Would the best practice to be manual removal in the yard with a weed tool that removes the root and plant along with minimizing the larger plants along the pond? 

Do you know if there is a way to prevent the germination in the rock beds and around the home? 

Thank you, 

Ross

On Wed, Aug 16, 2023 at 15:59 Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
The Question Asker Replied August 16, 2023, 6:20 PM EDT

Thanks for your response.

The majority of these small trees are coming up from buried roots and not from germinating seeds. Just keep mowing them down. The only way that you could effectively stop them from appearing would be to dig up all the underground roots. This really would not be practical. This may simply be a problem that you will need to live with for a while. Good luck.

An Ask Extension Expert Replied August 16, 2023, 7:27 PM EDT

Loading ...