Willow And Permaculture

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History:
The Willows are native to temperate and cold climates around the northern hemisphere and have been used for thousands of years for medicine, crafts, and building materials. Willows have been introduced all over the world and continues to be important plants..... CLICK HERE TO GO TO SOURCE

Trivia:

• Willow has been used for treating fever and pain from at least 2,000 BC as referenced on Egyptian paparyi. Likely it was used far earlier than that. Hippocrates referenced it in 400 BC. It was not until 1897 that Bayer first started producing Aspirin based on an extraction technique developed by the French chemist Charles Gerhardt.
• There are a number of dwarf or creeping Willows species found around the world. Many of these plants are very low growing and capable of living in very cold climates… including artctic!
• Cricket bats are traditionally made from a special variety of White Willow (Salix alba) called ‘Caerulea’.
• Willow Water – There has been a lot written on using Willow stems/twigs to help root cuttings from other plants. There is some truth to this, but it is not a magic bullet. The reason for this is that Willow contains both salicylic acid and auxins. Salycylic acid reportedly prevents pathogen growth – meaning it will stop fungus and other microorganisms from attacking the cutting. Auxins are a family of plant hormones that stimualte root growth. The research shows that the most success is seen when using 50-100 six-inch new Willow stems or new Willow shoots and soaking them in 1 gallon (3.75 liters) of water for 4-6 weeks. The water is strained and used to soak cuttings from other plants to induce/speed rooting. Cuttings of other plants are placed in a container with the Willow water (like flowers in a vase).

Permaculture Plants: Willow

Common Name: Willows, Sallows, Osiers
Scientific Name: Salix species
Family: Salicaceae (the Willow family)

Selected Species (there are over 400 species!):

• White Willow (Salix alba)
• Weeping Willow (Salix babylonica)
• Beaked Willow (Salix bebbiana)
• Goat Willow (Salix caprea)
• Coastal Plain or Carolina Willow (Salix caroliniana)
• American or Pussy Willow (Salix discolor)
• Gray Willow (Salix glauca)
• Western Black or Goodding’s Willow (Salix gooddingii)
• Pacific Willow (Salix lucida)
• Yellow Willow (Salix lutea)
• Chinese Willow (includes Corkscrew Willow) (Salix matsudana)
• Black Willow (Salix nigra)
• Laurel or Bay Willow (Salix pentandra)
• Purple Osier or Purple Willow (Salix purpurea)
• Common Osier or Basket Willow (Salix viminalis)

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