Woolly Willow
Salix lanata
Family: Salicaceae
What it is like
Salix lanata is a deciduous Shrub growing to 1.5 m (5ft) by 1.5 m (5ft). It is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to July, and the seeds ripen in July. 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. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
Height (m): 1.5
Where it is found
Damp ledges of basic rocks on mountains, 550 - 1000 metres. A very rare plant in Britain, found only in Scotland.
Arctic and sub-arctic Europe and Asia, including 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 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.
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:
Plants are grown as a low hedge at Wisley. They can also be grown as a ground cover when spaced about 1.2 metres apart each way.
Hedge: Plants that can be grown as hedges.
Ground cover: Ground Cover
Hedge: Hedge
How it is grown
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.
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; Ground Cover; Hedge;
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness:
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist, wet