Salix lanata

Woolly willow, Arctic willow

Salicaceae Edible: Inner bark, Leaves 3,204 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Salix lanata, the woolly willow, is a subarctic species of willow native to Iceland, the Faeroe Islands and Finland, through to eastern Siberia. In Scotland it can be found in only a few localities of Perthshire, Angus and Aberdeenshire, generally on rocky mountain sides at altitudes of 600–900 m (1,969–2,953 ft).

Description

A shrub. It grows 60-120 cm high and spreads 60-150 cm wide. The leaves are felted and grey-white. The male catkins are yellow and the longer female catkins grey yellow.

Edible Uses

The inner bark can be eaten raw or cooked, or dried and ground into a powder to blend with cereal flour for bread-making. It has a very bitter flavour and is regarded as a famine food, used only when all else fails. Young shoots can be eaten raw or cooked, though they are not very palatable.

Medicinal Uses

The fresh bark contains salicin, which probably decomposes into salicylic acid (closely related to aspirin) in the human body. This gives it anodyne and febrifuge properties.

Distribution

It suits hardiness zones 2-9.

Where It Grows

Australia, Britain, Europe, Faroe Islands,

Cultivation

Succeeds in most soils, including wet, ill-drained or intermittently flooded soils, but prefers a damp, heavy soil in a cool position in semi-shade. Rarely thrives on chalk. Intolerant of dry soils. A very hardy species, tolerating temperatures down to at least -25°c. A very ornamental plant. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. Although the flowers are produced in catkins early in the year, they are pollinated by bees and other insects rather than by the wind. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Propagation

Seed must be surface sown as soon as it is ripe in late spring, as viability is very short — perhaps only a few days. Cuttings of mature wood from the current year's growth can be taken November to February and rooted in a sheltered outdoor bed or planted directly into their permanent position with a weed-suppressing mulch; success is very easy. Plant out into permanent positions in autumn. Half-ripe cuttings can be taken June to August and rooted in a frame, also very easily.

Other Uses

Plants can be grown as a low hedge, as demonstrated at Wisley. They can also be used as ground cover when spaced approximately 1.2 metres apart in each direction.

Production

It is slow growing.

Notes

There are about 300 Salix species.

References (4)

Joyce, D., 1998, The Garden Plant Selector. Ryland, Peters and Small. p 158
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
Slocum, P.D. & Robinson, P., 1999, Water Gardening. Water Lilies and Lotuses. Timber Press. p 134
Sp. pl. 2:1019. 1753