Herb: Shining Willow


Latin name: Salix lucida


Family: Salicaceae (Willow Family)



Medicinal use of Shining Willow:

The bark is analgesic, antiasthmatic, astringent and haemostatic. It is used in the treatment of bleeding and asthma. A poultice of the bark has been applied to the head to allay the pain of headaches. The poultice has also been used to treat sores and bleeding cuts. An infusion of the leaves is used as an analgesic in the treatment of headaches. The fresh bark contains salicin, which probably decomposes into salicylic acid (closely related to aspirin) in the human body. This is used as an anodyne and febrifuge.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
8 m
(26 feet)

Flowering:
April
to May

Habitat of the herb:

Wet soils, especially in and along swamps, also in marshes, peat bogs and on sand banks along creeks.

Propagation of Shining Willow:

Seed - must be surface sown as soon as it is ripe in late spring. It has a very short viability, perhaps as little as a few days. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, November to February in a sheltered outdoor bed or planted straight into their permanent position and given a good weed-suppressing mulch. Very easy. Plant into their permanent positions in the autumn. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, June to August in a frame. Very easy.

Cultivation of the herb:

Wet soils, especially in and along swamps, also in marshes, peat bogs and on sand banks along creeks.

Known hazards of Salix lucida:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.