White willow (bark): medicinal properties, use and contraindications. Planting material. Deciduous trees and shrubs. Willow Growing conditions

One of the most common representatives of the flora, almost all over the world, is white Tristis.

People added the epithets white, silver, and weeping to its name. Thanks to its unpretentiousness, willow quickly takes root and grows in almost any conditions. This fact has become the reason that the tree is endowed with rich symbolism and many myths, legends and customs are attached to it.

Willow is widely popular in medicine and.

The tree is also known under the names willow, belotal, molokotnik, willow, tal, willow, white willow, bredina, willow. The variety of names often provokes questions about what it is. Let's consider the main features of growing whitebush.

White willow

White willow is a tall (20-30 m), graceful deciduous member of the Willow family. The lush crown of the plant resembles a giant tent. The willow trunk can reach up to 3 m in diameter, it is covered with dark gray bark with deep cracks.

Willow differs from other trees in its wayward long flexible branches, olive-green or red-brown in color, which give it volume and specialness.

There are about 600 varieties of willow in the wild, but about 100 live in our climatic conditions.

Did you know? There is a popular myth that the willow has the power to develop 700 branches. In this regard, the tree is considered a symbol of a numerous family. In addition, willow symbolizes beauty, a married woman, a beautiful grieving girl, sadness, memory. It is the palm branches that are blessed in church on Palm Sunday, endowing the willow with magical powers to protect a person from everything bad.

Silver willow blooms in late April or early May. Its yellow-green flowers are collected in inflorescences that look like earrings. People call willow inflorescences “seals”. Flowers of different sexes bloom on one inflorescence: males have two stamens, females have a pistil with an upper ovary.
On the faded “seals” fruits are formed, in the form of boxes with seeds. The wind carries the ripened seeds to a huge state, which contributes to widespread distribution. If the seeds fall into water, they can remain viable for several years; in the open air, they are capable of germination only for a while.

The lifespan of the silver willow is about 100 years. In one year, the tree can grow 100 cm in height and 50 cm in width.

Special attention should be paid to the description of willow leaves. They are lanceolate, narrow and long, the lower part of each leaf is covered with small grayish fluff (hence the epithet silver). This feature gives willow a certain femininity and tenderness. If the weather is calm outside, the tree covered with leaves looks green, but when a light breeze rises, the foliage begins to move, turn the bottom side to the top, and the tree becomes white.

Did you know? Droplets of water often appear on the bottom of silver willow leaves. People say that these are willow tears. There is a scientific explanation for this fact. The fact is that the tree most often grows near bodies of water, and its roots thirstily absorb moisture, which does not have time and cannot evaporate naturally in a timely manner, since the air near bodies of water is already waterlogged. To get rid of excess moisture absorbed by the root system, the plant releases droplets through the foliage.

Willow has a powerful and well-developed root system. It is worth noting that the level of development and deepening of roots depends on the level of groundwater: the closer the water, the less the roots develop. The roots of willows growing in dry places can go 2-3 m deep.

Growing conditions

Despite the fact that white (weeping) willow is an unpretentious and undemanding tree, some measures must be taken when planting it. The better conditions you create for this delicate beauty, the brighter and healthier she will look.

Location and lighting

Willow is a very light-loving and moisture-loving representative of the flora. These factors should be taken into account when choosing a place to plant a plant.

It is best to choose wetland areas. Ideally, land near a pond, lake or other body of water. Such a place guarantees that the tree will never suffer from lack of moisture.

Important! The white willow withstands floods, which do not harm the pond. But the tree can die in a drought. The seating area should have good lighting. Sunny areas or partial shade are best. Willow does not grow in the shade.

Soil for growing

To get rid of aphids, which suck the vital juices from the plant, I use, in particular, "Karbofos", .

The main diseases of white willow are:

A large tree up to 20-30 high and up to 3 m in diameter. The crown is tent-shaped and wide. The trunk is straight. The bark is gray, darker on older trunks, and deeply fissured. Young shoots are shiny, silvery-fluffy at the ends, old shoots are bare. The buds are sharp, reddish-yellow, silky. The stipules are silvery-fluffy and fall early.

The leaves are lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, pointed, silvery-silky, length 5-15 cm, width 1-3 cm, finely serrated, short-petiolate, with 12-15 pairs of lateral veins (Fig. 74).

Rice. 74. Willows: 1 - three-stamen: leaf, pistillate catkin, flowers, 2 - five-stamen: leaf, pistillate catkin, flowers; 3 - holly: leaves, flowers; 4 - Russian: leaves, flowers; 5 - white: leaves, pistillate catkin, flowers

Flower buds are formed at the end of summer. There are two stamens, the anthers are bright yellow. There are two nectaries in a male flower and one in a female flower. The ovary is bare. White willow blooms in April-May. In the Moscow region it blooms on average on May 11, in Nerekhta - on May 12, in Novgorod - on May 17. The capsules ripen 3-4 weeks after flowering.

Characterized by rapid growth. Winter-hardy. Quite photophilous. Undemanding to soils. The root system develops powerful and deep. Grows in floodplains of rivers and around lakes in the form of pure stands or with poplars, elms, alders and other species. Tolerates prolonged flooding. Lives up to 100-150 years. It reproduces by seeds, produces abundant growth from the stump and on the trunks. White willow is grown with seeds, more often with cuttings and stakes along rivers and other bodies of water, as well as for lining roads, in gardens and parks as an ornamental tree. Recommended for topless farming and for field-protective afforestation in appropriate conditions. Naturally grows almost everywhere in the middle and southern parts of the European territory of Ukraine and Russia, reaching Vologda - Perm, and in cultivation much further north. In Siberia it advanced to the Yenisei (Fig. 75). Also widespread in Western Europe, Asia Minor, the Himalayas and other places. There are several known forms of white willow that are of interest for landscaping (with weeping branches, with silver-silky leaves, etc.).

Rice. 75. Willow habitats

White willow wood is soft, light, with a pinkish or brownish-red heartwood and narrow white sapwood. It is used in the construction of buildings in rural areas, used for the manufacture of arches, troughs, shuttles, various turning products, toys, etc. Stamens and hoops are made from young stems. Ropes are made from bast. The bark contains 4-5% salicyl and tannins. It is a good honey plant.

Brittle willow, pussy willow, willow (s. Fragilis l.)

A less powerful tree up to 15-20 m high and up to 1 m in diameter. The crown is wide and through. Trunk with brown-gray deeply fissured bark. The branches are olive green, shiny, brittle, bare.

The buds are dark brown, oblong, glabrous, shiny. The leaves are ovate-lanceolate, 10-15 cm long, up to 2.5 cm wide, dark green above, light green below, serrate, glabrous, on a petiole up to 1.5 cm long, with glands in the upper part. Stipules are ovate.

Brittle willow blooms in April-May at the same time as the leaves bloom. In the Moscow region it blooms on average on May 10, in Novgorod - on May 18, in Sverdlovsk - on May 24. The seeds ripen in June. It reproduces by seeds, produces shoots from the stump and on the trunks. Suitable for topless farming. It is propagated by planting stakes around reservoirs, dams, on streets and estates, as well as by cuttings. It grows naturally throughout almost the entire European part of Ukraine and Russia, in Western Siberia, Central Asia and the Caucasus (see Fig. 75), and is widely bred. Winter-hardy. Grows quickly. Lives to 75 years or more. Demanding on soil moisture. The root system is highly developed and deep. It is of interest as a forest and ornamental species. There are known hybrids between brittle and white willow. Brittle willow wood has the same uses as white willow wood.

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White willow

White willow. Beneficial properties of white willow and use in folk medicine

White willow|Salix alba|Willows. Botanical characteristics of white willow

Another name for the plant is silver willow. All types of willows are dioecious trees that reach a height of up to 25 meters, growing everywhere along river banks and in other wet places. The bark of the white willow trunk is covered with cracks and is hollow inside.

Young branches are flexible, lanceolate alternate leaves are silky with fine teeth along the edges. The flowers collected in earrings are greenish or yellow.

In the places of female willow catkins, wind-blown seeds with fluffy appendages ripen. White willow bark contains active substances that have a beneficial effect on joint pain during.

This was proven by scientists in Germany, where 78 patients were observed and treated with willow bark extract, of whom the pain subsided in 14% of the patients during the first two weeks.

White willow - medicine from the forest

The primordial healer is the forest, the forest is our second lungs, in it we find a storehouse of medicines - plants and herbs not made by hands. For example, take white willow, its twigs and bark - they treat many diseases.

White willow bark has been successfully used to treat varicose veins (diarrhea), ; it also helps with inflammatory and infectious diseases, treats and joints , oral diseases and nasopharynx, useful for.

We bring to your attention a few:

● Recipe for general treatment with white willow: one tbsp. l. add crushed white willow bark to two glasses of hot water in a thermos and close overnight; In the morning, strain and drink 1/3 cup four times a day before meals or an hour after meals.

We are treated for half a month, take a seven-day break and repeat the course of treatment again.

● Recipe for prostatitis and prostate adenoma : take half a glass of white willow bark decoction three times a day before meals (two tablespoons of dry raw material per 400 ml of boiling water, bring to a boil and cook over low heat for seven minutes, cool and strain).

● Recipe for sweaty feet: make foot baths from an infusion of powdered white willow bark (two teaspoons of powder for two glasses of water, leave for eight hours and strain).

● Recipe for digestive disorders, colitis, indigestion, gastritis and catarrh of the stomach: take 200 ml. decoction of white willow bark three times a day, regardless of meals (per liter of water, three tablespoons of crushed bark, leave for 8 hours, then bring to a boil and simmer for seven minutes, leave for one hour and strain).

Willow is a deciduous tree or shrub that grows primarily in temperate climates. Some varieties are found in the tropics and even beyond the Arctic Circle. Archaeologists have found imprints of willow leaves on chalk deposits more than several tens of millions of years old.

Willow has long been used as an ornamental plant; we will consider the most famous willows of the genus in this article.

White willow, or silver willow, is a powerful tree that reaches 25 meters in height when mature. The tree has a lush crown, consisting of long, gently flowing stems with green foliage shimmering with silver. In April, the willow blooms with yellow flowers, popularly called cats; the flowers, indeed, look like pieces of fur.
White willow is in demand in landscape design. It grows quickly, withstands frosty climates, develops on almost any soil, and tolerates shearing painlessly. Willow is not afraid of moisture, even in excess, and loves sunlight. Mature trees have a crown up to 20 meters in diameter.
The most popular decorative forms of white willow:

• Argentea- a tree with flowing shoots, up to 25 meters high, the glossy upper side of the leaf is dark green, the lower side is whitish, during flowering the crown is literally strewn with bright yellow catkins.
• Limpde– a tree 20-40 meters in height, distinguished by yellow stems. A lush crown in the shape of a cone about 12 meters in diameter. Honey plant, blooms in April, frost-resistant variety.
• Tristis– height up to 20 meters, with a spreading crown up to 20 meters in diameter, yellow bark and branches. Willow is a honey plant and blooms in April, almost simultaneously with the blossoming of leaves.

Babylonian willow

Babylonian willow is a low tree up to 15 meters, with a spreading weeping crown 10 meters in diameter. Willow branches, in addition to green, can have yellow and red shades; the branches are almost bare, with glossy bark, hanging straight to the ground. The oblong-shaped green leaves have small teeth along the edges and begin to turn yellow closer to January. After the leaves bloom, the willow is covered with thin earring flowers of white and yellow color. Willow has good winter hardiness and is not capricious to grow.

This is a two-meter tall shrub; an interesting feature of the variety is its twisted branches of a yellowish-golden color, which look impressive against the background of bright green foliage. This variety is afraid of the cold, but quickly recovers if it freezes. Tortuosa requires a lot of light to grow.
Willow Babylonian Crispa. This is a dwarf variety, no more than two meters in height. The shrub is decorative thanks to its unusual foliage: the leaf plates of rich green color are twisted in the shape of a flower and covered with gloss.

Willow Kanginskaya

Willow Kanginskaya is a variety of special selection, the Latin name of willow is Salix Kangensis Nakai. The variety is presented in two varieties: tree and shrub. Both forms of the plant grow up to 10 meters tall. The leaves differ in size from each other: on sprouting stems the length is up to 20 cm, on fruiting stems the leaves are half as long. The leaf blades are lanceolate, pubescent. Willow blooms in early spring and is distinguished by lush flowering. Prefers to grow on the banks of rivers and other bodies of water, loves good lighting, winter-hardy, this willow is a honey plant. In nature, it is distributed in the Primorsky Territory, Korea and the northeastern regions of China.

Did you know? The ancient Slavs revered the willow as a sacred tree of life; the tree was a symbol of the god Yarila. Followers of Buddhism believe that the willow is a symbol of the spring rebirth of nature. Taoists called the willow a symbol of the manifestation of strength in weakness due to its bending but not breaking stems. The willow was a sacred tree, near which prayers were offered to the gods, among the ancient peoples of Mexico and North American Indians.

The Caspian willow variety grows as a shrub, a branched bush with a fan-shaped crown and long thin stems. The willow bark is gray-green, the leaves are glossy, bright green, elongated. The length of the leaves is 10 centimeters, the height of the bush is three meters, the crown is almost two meters in diameter. Willow blooms in May and blooms for only three days. Winter-hardy, but does not like severe frosts. In landscape design it is used to decorate artificial reservoirs or natural streams and ponds; its root system, growing, strengthens the banks well.

Goat willow, or bredana, is a small tree with drooping branches. Goat willow is absolutely unpretentious: it is not afraid of shade, moist soil, grows on any soil, and is winter-hardy. The plant is often planted near bodies of water. Willow blooms from April to May with yellow cat flowers. The crown shape of goat willow is weeping. The most popular types of wood:

• goat willow Pendula- a tree with a weeping crown, silver-green leaves and golden seals. Frost-resistant, loves sunlit areas, grows well in partial shade. Willow Pendula is not taller than two meters, the diameter of the crown is up to one and a half meters.
• Zilberglyants- a tree up to eight meters high, stems gently falling down, crown diameter - about five meters. The tree blooms in April.
• willow goat Mac– tree or shrub, tree height – up to 10 meters, spreading crown diameter – up to six meters. In the lower part of the trunk the bark has small cracks; higher up it becomes smooth and gray-green in color. The beautiful bluish-green leaves have a pleasant aroma.

Interesting! People say that the willow's heart dies first: it rots from the core of the trunk. It is interesting that because of this it was believed that if a child was whipped with a willow rod, it would not grow up, and in those days people flogged for disobedience with willow rods. Apparently, this is why in ancient times there were more short people.

Willow brittle

Brittle willow, broom, as it is also called, is a medium-sized tree (up to 20 meters) or shrub. Its crown is tent-shaped, the stems are not very flexible and break, which gave rise to the name willow. The stems are not pubescent, green, glossy, sticky at the beginning of plant development. The leaves are large, 15 cm long, lanceolate, with a serrated edge and a sharp tip. The tree blooms when the leaves bloom - in May-April, with long yellow-green catkins.
The brittle willow variety Bullata is well known and popular. It has a spherical, gently rounded crown. The structure and development of the tree is somewhat reminiscent of a jellyfish. The crown sphere consists of branching stems arranged in a dome, and below, shoots growing upward seem to support this dome. The foliage grows so densely that the tree seems covered with a green velvet cape.

This tree naturally lives in Korea and China. The tree grows up to 13 meters tall, it has a slender, straight trunk, and a pyramid-shaped crown. Long, thin, ascending stems are fleecy at a young age, olive-colored with a yellowish tint. The castings are narrow, elongated up to 10 cm in length. Along with the leaves blooming, fluffy catkins bloom. Matsuda's willow loves good lighting, warmth, does not tolerate temperature changes, and grows in nutritious soils.

Important! Most varieties and types of willow grow quickly and therefore require regular pruning; if this is not done, the tree or shrub will grow into a shapeless mass. They begin to trim a tree or bush that has reached 80 cm in height.

Holly willow has many names - red shell, red willow, willow. This is a tree or tall shrub with a reddish tint to the branches, as reflected in the name. In addition to color, the stems are distinguished by a waxy coating on the bark. It is found naturally in the Ciscaucasia regions, throughout the European part of Russia. Grows in forest-tundra, on sandstones and near water bodies. The willow grows up to 10 meters in height, its crown is spreading, oval in shape, the leaves are long and narrow, dark green, the petioles of the leaf blades are red-yellow. Blooms before the leaves bloom. In the landscape, it is used in plantings near ponds, in parks, and as a hedge. Popularly, pussy willow earrings are used in religious rituals on Palm Sunday. Willow twigs are used to make furniture, baskets and other household utensils.
The most decorative form of willow is Tatarian willow. This plant with a weeping crown is strewn with white catkins during the flowering period.

Attention! If you are growing long-eared or brittle willow, please note:– in hot weather, provided there is no body of water near the tree, it needs to be watered and sprayed frequently. White willow is more resistant to drought.

Creeping willow Armando is a standard variety, a low shrub with thin, flexible stems. The bush has a wide crown up to three meters in diameter, the height of the bush is no more than a meter. The foliage is matte, the upper part of the leaf is green, the lower part is grayish, pubescent. It blooms with fluffy gray-pink earrings. Willow is resistant to low temperatures and loves good lighting and moisture. This variety can also be grown indoors in a tub. On the site it is used to design stone gardens, decorate hills, rock gardens, and ponds.

The twig willow, or hemp willow, inhabits most of Russia and the Baltic states. She loves river banks, forests and forest-steppes. This is a tall shrub up to eight meters, with a spreading crown, long shoots-twigs, covered with pile; as it grows, the pile disappears. The leaves are long and narrow with a curved edge, the lower plate has a pile. Willow received its second name for the shape and arrangement of its leaves: they are similar to hemp leaves. The willow blooms before the leaves bloom, it has long catkins (6 cm) in the shape of a cylinder, and it blooms for only two weeks.
This type of willow is well suited for weaving baskets and hedges. The bush grows quickly, tolerates frost well, and is not picky about soil and conditions.

This type of willow is unusual due to the red color of the stems. This is a shrub with a ball-shaped crown, thin and long shoots and silver-green leaves. The bush grows up to five meters in height, the crown is also about five meters in diameter. Purple willow blooms in May, the flowers have a purple hue.

• Variety Mayak. Ornamental shrub with pink branches, resistant to low temperatures. Prefers bright areas and moderate humidity. The height of the bush is three meters, the diameter of the spherical crown is the same.
• Variety Nana. A shrub that grows no more than one and a half meters, blooms luxuriantly, and is not picky about the soil and growing conditions. Resistant to frost. But you need to be protected from strong winds. The bush has a rounded crown and brownish shoots, blooms with greenish flowers.
• Pendula. The shrub is no more than three meters high, the crown is lush, weeping, the foliage is green with a blue tint, the flowers are purple. Frost-resistant, moisture-loving, light-loving, may not tolerate drought. Looks good and grows near water bodies.

Rosemary willow is also called Siberian willow, netala and niceloz. This is a meter-long shrub with a voluminous crown and purple shoots. The shrub has fluffy leaves, dark green on top and bluish below. Willow blooms with yellow or red catkins in May; the catkins have a delicate aroma. The variety is frost-resistant and unpretentious in cultivation, grows slowly on any soil.