Salix wallichiana

Family: Salicaceae

What it is like

Salix wallichiana is a deciduous Tree growing to 5 m (16ft 5in) at a fast rate. It 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. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist or wet soil.

Height (m): 5

Where it is found

Common along streamsides and in shrubberies, 1500 - 3600 metres. Mountain slopes, margins of woods and riversides in western China.

E. Asia - China to the Himalayas.

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 - cooked. Not very palatable.

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

Medicine

Rating: 2

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.

Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.

Other

Rating:

The 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 twigs are used as toothbrushes.

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

Teeth: Plants used to clean and care for the teeth.

How it is grown

We have very little information on this species and do not know how hardy it will be in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in most parts of the country. It is a fast-growing plant. This species hybridizes easily with Salix sinica. Together, they produce many hybrids, with intermediate states, overlapping in their distributions. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. 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. 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 Canopy; Secondary;

Habit: Tree

Hardiness:

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

S. disperma. Roxb. ex D.Don.