Herb: Almond-Leaved Willow


Latin name: Salix triandra


Synonyms: Salix amygdalina


Family: Salicaceae (Willow Family)



Medicinal use of Almond-Leaved Willow:

The fresh bark of all members of this genus 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
Tree

Height:
9 m
(30 feet)

Flowering:
March
to May

Scent:
Scented
Tree

Habitat of the herb:

Sides of rivers and ponds, marshes etc. Common in England, less so in Wales and very local in Scotland.

Edible parts of Almond-Leaved Willow:

Inner bark - raw or cooked. It can be dried, ground into a powder and then added to cereal flour for use in making bread etc. A very bitter flavour, it is a famine food that is only used when all else fails. Young shoots - cooked. Not very palatable. One report says that the stems have a sweet flavour.

Other uses of the herb:

The stems are very flexible and are used in basket making. They are highly valued. The plant is usually coppiced annually when grown for basket making, though it is possible to coppice it every two years if thick poles are required as uprights. A yellow dye is obtained from the bark and young leaves.

Propagation of Almond-Leaved 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:

Sides of rivers and ponds, marshes etc. Common in England, less so in Wales and very local in Scotland.

Known hazards of Salix triandra:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.