English: White willow
German: Silber-Weide
Irish: saileach bain
Spanish: Sauce blanco or Salguero
Natural history
White willow is a tree introduced from Eurasia with native stands still found in parts of Russia. It is found in Colorado from 5,000 to 7,000 feet as a cultivated species around urban areas, ranches, and homestead. It forms large trees up to 20 m with multiple trunks arising from a single base, often with bright yellow-orange twigs. Its leaves grow singly and alternately along its stems and are relatively narrow with finely toothed edges. A uniting characteristic among species of the Willow Family is the presence of a bud at the base of each leaf stem. In true willows, such as White willow, this bud consists of only a single fused scale as opposed to other members of the Willow Family, such as cottonwoods and aspens, whose buds consist of numerous scales.
Human history and use
Species of the Willow Family have a long history of human use to treat pain and fever. This is due to their containing salicin, the chemical from which aspirin was originally synthesized. Willow has antiseptic properties and has been used as a wash for wounds. Willow has also been widely used as a fiber and construction material in the fabrication of dwellings, furniture, sleeping mats, basketry, bows, and arrow shafts, among many others. Among the Navajo, willow is used ceremonially in various rituals, and as a tobacco.
References:
Ackerfield, J. 2022. Flora of Colorado. Fort Worth, TX: Brit Press.
Kittel, G. 2023. Willows (Salix) of Colordo: Their Ecology & Identification. Gwen Kittel.
Moore, M. 2003. Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West. Santa Fe: Museum of New Mexico Press.
Photo credit:
Photos by Mike Jacob.