Herb: Halberd-Leaved Willow


Latin name: Salix hastata


Family: Salicaceae (Willow Family)



Medicinal use of Halberd-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
Shrub

Height:
2 m
(6 1/2 foot)

Flowering:
April
to May

Habitat of the herb:

Wet places ascending into mountains in the south of its range. in mountains.

Edible parts of Halberd-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 - raw or cooked. They are not very palatable.

Other uses of the herb:

This species has a spreading root system and can be planted to stabilize sand dunes.

Propagation of Halberd-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:

Wet places ascending into mountains in the south of its range. in mountains.

Known hazards of Salix hastata:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.