Herb latin name: Salix x rubra


Family: Salicaceae (Willow Family)



Medicinal use of Salix x rubra:

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
Shrub

Height:
6 m
(20 feet)

Habitat of the herb:

Not known in a truly wild situation.

Edible parts of Salix x rubra:

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.

Other uses of the herb:

The stems are long, very flexible and very durable, they are highly valued for their use in basket making. 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.

Propagation of Salix x rubra:

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. This is a hybrid species and it will not breed true from seed. 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:

Not known in a truly wild situation.

Known hazards of Salix x rubra:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.