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Salix viminalis - L.

Common Name Osier. Basket Willow
Family Salicaceae
USDA hardiness 4-8
Known Hazards None known
Habitats By rivers and streams, also on deep moist alluvial soils, avoiding very acid soils[186].
Range Europe, incl Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to France through temperate Asia to Japan.
Edibility Rating    (1 of 5)
Other Uses    (3 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (2 of 5)
Care (info)
Fully Hardy Moist Soil Wet Soil Full sun
Salix viminalis Osier. Basket Willow


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cleaned-Illustration_Salix_viminalis.jpg
Salix viminalis Osier. Basket Willow

 

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Summary


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of lolypop
Salix viminalis is a deciduous Tree growing to 6 m (19ft) by 4 m (13ft) at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from April to May, and the seeds ripen in June. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). and is pollinated by Bees. The plant is not self-fertile.
It is noted for attracting wildlife.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist or wet soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Habitats

Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Inner bark  Leaves  Shoots
Edible Uses:

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[172]. Young shoots - cooked. Not very palatable[172].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Anodyne  Antirheumatic  Febrifuge

Antirheumatic, febrifuge[13]. The fresh bark of all members of this genus contains salicin[226], which probably decomposes into salicylic acid (closely related to aspirin) in the human body[213]. This is used as an anodyne and febrifuge[226].

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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FOOD FOREST PLANTS

Other Uses

Basketry  Fodder  Soil stabilization  Tannin

The stems are very flexible and are used in basket making[11, 23, 46]. 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. The annual yield can be around 12 tonnes per hectare, 40% of which is class 1[74]. The bark contains about 10% tannin[223]. Often planted along the banks of rivers and lakes to prevent soil erosion[1].

Special Uses

Attracts Wildlife  Carbon Farming  Food Forest

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Fodder: Bank  Industrial Crop: Biomass  Industrial Crop: Tannin  Management: Coppice  Other Systems: SRC  Regional Crop

Succeeds in most soils, including wet, ill-drained or intermittently flooded soils[1, 11], but prefers a damp, heavy soil in a sunny position[200]. Dislikes heavy shade and dry soils[186]. Rarely thrives on chalk[200]. Tolerates atmospheric pollution[186]. A fast growing tree, it is very wind resistant[K]. Widely cultivated for basket making, there are many named varieties[11, 17]. Trees are usually coppiced annually for this purpose, they do not respond so well to pollarding. It should be cut back almost to ground level each year when being grown for basket making since this encourages the production of long flexible shoots[11]. In very good conditions plants can put on 4 metres or more of new growth in a year when treated in this way. A very important food source for the caterpillars of many butterfly species[30], it is also a valuable early pollen source for bees[11, 186]. The plants are rich in insect life[186]. Best planted into its permanent position as soon as possible[11]. The root system is rather aggressive and can cause problems with drains[200]. Plants are best not grown within 10 metres of buildings. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[200]. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Carbon Farming

  • Fodder: Bank  Fodder banks are plantings of high-quality fodder species. Their goal is to maintain healthy productive animals. They can be utilized all year, but are designed to bridge the forage scarcity of annual dry seasons. Fodder bank plants are usually trees or shrubs, and often legumes. The relatively deep roots of these woody perennials allow them to reach soil nutrients and moisture not available to grasses and herbaceous plants.
  • Industrial Crop: Biomass  Three broad categories: bamboos, resprouting woody plants, and giant grasses. uses include: protein, materials (paper, building materials, fibers, biochar etc.), chemicals (biobased chemicals), energy - biofuels
  • Industrial Crop: Tannin  Occur generally in the roots, wood, bark, leaves, and fruit of many plants. Used in tanning leather, dyeing fabric, making ink, and medical applications.
  • Management: Coppice  Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
  • Other Systems: SRC  Short-rotation coppice.
  • Regional Crop  These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

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Propagation

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.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Plant Search

Search over 900 plants ideal for food forests and permaculture gardens. Filter to search native plants to your area. The plants selected are the plants in our book 'Plants For Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens, as well as plants chosen for our forthcoming related books for Tropical/Hot Wet Climates and Mediterranean/Hot Dry Climates. Native Plant Search

Found In

Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

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Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

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Expert comment

Author

L.

Botanical References

1117200

Links / References

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Readers comment

dawn   Mon Jun 12 2006

is it edible for horses

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Subject : Salix viminalis  
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