Q: Can you tell me if a Nishiki Willow will grow in Georgia? My neighbor moved here from Pennsylvania and is wondering if our climate is suitable for the plant.

A: I will share with you the deep, untold secrets of the question-answering profession. The secret is Google. First you type “Nishiki Willow” into Google and then you scan the results. I see a nice description at Paghat’s Garden – but she lives in Washington State.There’s another at Dave’s Garden
which relates experiences with the plant in sites near Georgia.

Then I see a summary description form the North Carolina Extension folks. This says the willow is hardy in zones 5 – 8. We live in zones 7 – 8 so the willow should be fine winter-wise. However, one should also visit my own website and note that I say willows often get cankers and leaf spots, so it won’t be the longest-lived plant in any Georgia garden.