Hi ..
I am in 3a .. and, through out the course of the winter, and the snow, some of my Arctic Willow have damage from the weight of the snow .. very upsetting as they are well maintained ..

My question .. can I be brutal and cut them right back ?

Any suggestions gratefully accepted with thanks ..

~M~

Hi Marilynne! I'm not an expert on arctic willows, but if you wait until the buds start expanding before pruning or cutting-back branches, then you'll be able to see where they'll regrow from. That's what I normally do for any of my shrubs that suffer winter damage, and so far it has worked fine.

Will there grow in zone 7a or is the summers too hot?

I think Arctic Willow will grow almost anywhere Keith ..
I think it would likely be more 'lush' in 7a ..