Cricket Bat Willow
Salix alba caerulea
Family: Salicaceae
What it is like
Salix alba caerulea is a deciduous Tree growing to 25 m (82ft) by 10 m (32ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 2 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 and neutral soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist or wet soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.
Height (m): 25
Where it is found
Low lying or hilly ground, usually on wet soils.
Britain.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Inner bark - raw or cooked. It can be dried, ground and added to cereal flour for use in making bread etc. A very bitter taste, it is a famine food that is only used when all else fails. Leaves and young shoots - raw or cooked. Not very palatable. They are used only in times of scarcity. The leaves can be used as a tea substitute.
Inner bark: the bark that is found just beneath the tough outer bark of trees and shrubs.
Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.
Medicine
Rating: 3
Justly famous as the original source of salicylic acid (the precursor of aspirin), white willow and several closely related species have been used for thousands of years to relieve joint pain and manage fevers. The bark is anodyne, anti-inflammatory, antiperiodic, antiseptic, astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic, febrifuge, hypnotic, sedative and tonic. It has been used internally in the treatment of dyspepsia connected with debility of the digestive organs, rheumatism, arthritis, gout, inflammatory stages of auto-immune diseases, feverish illnesses, neuralgia and headache. Its tonic and astringent properties render it useful in convalescence from acute diseases, in treating worms, chronic dysentery and diarrhoea. The fresh bark is very bitter and astringent. It contains salicin, which probably decomposes into salicylic acid (closely related to aspirin) in the human body. This is used as an anodyne and febrifuge. The bark is harvested in the spring or early autumn from 3 - 6 year old branches and is dried for later use. The leaves are used internally in the treatment of minor feverish illnesses and colic. An infusion of the leaves has a calming effect and is helpful in the treatment of nervous insomnia. When added to the bath water, the infusion is of real benefit in relieving widespread rheumatism. The leaves can be harvested throughout the growing season and are used fresh or dried. The German Commission E Monographs, a therapeutic guide to herbal medicine, approve Salix / Willow for diseases accompanied by fever, rheumatic ailments, headaches.
Anodyne: Relieves pain, it is milder than an analgesic.
Antiinflammatory: Reduces inflammation of joints, injuries etc.
Antiperiodic: Counteracts recurring illnesses such as malaria.
Antiseptic: Preventing sepsis, decay or putrefaction, it destroys or arrests the growth of micro-organisms.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Diaphoretic: Induces perspiration.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Dysentery: Used in treating dysentery - an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhoea containing blood or mucus.
Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.
Hypnotic: Induces sleep.
Sedative: Gently calms, reducing nervousness, distress and irritation.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Other
Rating:
Young stems are very flexible and are used 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. The bark can be used for tying plants. A fibre obtained from the stems is used in making paper. The stems are harvested in spring or summer, the leaves are removed and the stems steamed until the fibres can be stripped. The fibres are cooked for 2 hours with lye and then beaten with mallets or put through a blender. The paper is red/brown in colour. A fast growing tree and tolerant of maritime exposure, it can be grown as a shelterbelt. Wood - elastic, soft, easy to split, does not splinter. Cultivated for its specialist use in making cricket bats and artificial limbs, it is also used for construction, turnery, poles, tool handles etc. Also used to make charcoal.
Basketry: Plant used in making baskets and other items such as chairs. Includes plants that are only used as an ornamental addition.
Charcoal: Used for fuel, drawing, deodorant, filter, fertilizer etc.
Shelterbelt: Wind resistant plants than can be grown to provide shelter in the garden etc.
String: Plants that can be used for string or can be easily made into a string. See also Fibre. Plants for ropes may be included.
Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.
Attracts Wildlife: Plants noted for attracting wildlife
How it is grown
Succeeds in most soils, including wet, ill-drained or intermittently flooded soils, but prefers a damp, heavy soil in a sunny position. Rarely thrives on chalk. Plants are very tolerant of maritime exposure and atmospheric pollution. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. Allied to S. fragilis, with which it hybridizes. This sub-species is cultivated for its wood which is used to make cricket bats and artificial limbs. According to one report it is a female clone which should make it a cultivar rather than a sub-species unless the clone is the cultivated form of S. alba caerulea. Very fast growing, it can attain a girth of 1 - 1.5 metres in 12 years from a cutting. Trees respond well to pollarding and coppicing. Trees respond badly to transplanting unless moved regularly. The root system is rather aggressive and can cause problems with drains. A very important food plant for the caterpillars of many species of butterflies and a good bee plant, providing an early source of nectar and pollen. A very good wildlife habitat, more than 200 species of insects are associated with this tree. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
Propagating it: 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. Branches of older wood as long as 2.5 metres can be used. Very easy. Plant into their permanent positions in the autumn. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, June to August in a frame. Very easy.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Canopy;
Habit: Tree
Hardiness:
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist, wet
Things to keep in mind
Gastrointestinal bleeding & kidney damage possible. Avoid concurrent administration with other aspirin-like drugs. Avoid during pregnancy. Drug interactions associated with salicylates applicable .