Dune Willow
Salix hookeriana

Family: Salicaceae

What it is like

Salix hookeriana is a deciduous Shrub growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6 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. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils and can grow in saline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist or wet soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Height (m): 1

Where it is found

Borders of salt marshes and ponds, also on sandy coastal dunes. Streams, ponds and sloughs near the shore.

Western N. America - Alaska to California.

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 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. The leaves have been used as a flavouring in cooked foods.

Inner bark: the bark that is found just beneath the tough outer bark of trees and shrubs.

Medicine

Rating: 2

The leaves have been used as an antidote to shellfish poisoning. 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.

Anodyne: Relieves pain, it is milder than an analgesic.

Antidote: Counters poisoning.

Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.

Miscellany: Various medicinal actions that need more clarification.

Other

Rating: 3

Stems are very flexible and are used in basket making. Tolerates maritime exposure. 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 has been used extensively in basket making. Fibres from the inner bark can be twisted into long ropes. The soft roots have been used as a towel to rub down after bathing. An infusion of the roots has been used as a hair wash. Wood - light, soft, close grained. Dynamic accumulator.

Basketry: Plant used in making baskets and other items such as chairs. Includes plants that are only used as an ornamental addition.

Fibre: Used for making cloth, rope, paper etc.

Hair: Plants used as hair shampoos, tonics, to treat balding etc.

Miscellany: A rag-bag of items that are difficult to categorise.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

Dynamic accumulator: Plants that gather minerals or nutrients from the soil and store them in a more bioavailable form and in high concentration in their tissues. Used as fertilizer or to improve mulch.

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. Tolerates maritime exposure. A fast-growing but short-lived species. 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.

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. 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 Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 5-9

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist, wet

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Salix amplifolia Coville