Question
I live in Park City, UT. We have a Corkscrew Willow in our front yard (full sun). We planted it back in the Summer of 2004. Every summer the tree grows to be about 6-7 feet tall, it will winter over, then in the spring the tree will bud and begin growing leaves.  Well, sure enough, every May/June we will get a final frost and all the new growth will die and the tree has to start from a sprout. It will grow for the summer to be about 6-7 feet tall and then we start all over again the next spring. Is there any hope for this tree? Is there somethign we should/could be doing to protect against that last frost?

Thank you!
Connie

Answer
Park City's zones are 2-4). A hardiness zone is a general guide that helps identify which types of plants are capable of growing in different regions of the world. It's defined by the plant's ability to withstand the minimum temperatures of the zone. There is some criticism about the zoning system as it doesn't take summer heat levels into consideration.
Corkscrew hardiness zone is 6-9. I think the problem is the cold winter kills the willow back each year. I would check with a local nursery and see if they recommend planting this willow in park City. I would guess they do not.