Willow: Latest Information Summary and Detailed Introduction

Willow is a general term for a class of plants, also known as water willow, weeping willow, Qingming willow, etc. China has a history of planting willows for more than four thousand years, which can be traced back to the ancient Shu King Yufu who planted trees to mark boundaries. In spring, it is also the most charming and most “elegant” tree, and has been one of the subjects praised endlessly by poets and writers for thousands of years. Now let us take a look at what information there is about willows!

Morphological Characteristics of Willow

The branches of willow are slender and drooping, brown-green, hairless; winter buds are linear and closely attached to the branches. Leaves are alternate, linear-lanceolate, with glandular small serrations along the edges; the upper surface is deep green, the lower surface is green-gray-white, both surfaces are smooth and hairless, and stipules are present. It blooms from April to May each year, with flowers appearing after the leaves. The male inflorescence is a catkin, with a short stalk and slightly curved. The fruit is a capsule, dehiscing into 2 valves when mature, containing many seeds, and the seeds have a tuft of cottony hairs.

Growth Habits of Willow

Willow belongs to plants with a broad ecological amplitude and has wide adaptability to the environment. It is a light-loving, moisture-loving, cold-tolerant mesophytic tree species leaning toward moist conditions, but some species are also relatively drought-tolerant and salt-alkali-tolerant. It can grow in places with relatively harsh ecological conditions, and grows even better on plains and fertile fields with superior site conditions. Its general lifespan is 20 to 30 years, and a few species can reach more than a hundred years. Its annual growth period is relatively long, it sprouts early and sheds leaves late, and a few species in the south are evergreen trees.

Geographical Distribution of Willow

Willow is suited to various different ecological environments. Willows grow in mountains, plains, sand dunes, and polar regions alike, and are mainly distributed in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Dry willow is produced on the plains of North China, Northeast China, and Northwest China. Weeping willow is found throughout China, and has been introduced in many countries in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Korean weeping willow, round-headed willow, long-column willow, white-bark willow, large white willow, slender-column willow, Chinese willow, and others are mostly produced in Northeast China, and are also found in Korea, Japan, and the Russian Far East. Crack willow is native to Europe and has been introduced in Northeast China. White willow is produced in Xinjiang, China, and also in Gansu, Qinghai, and Tibet, with distribution also in Iran, Pakistan, northern India, Afghanistan, Russia, and Europe. Glandular willow is produced in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River basin and southern Liaoning Province, and is also found in Korea and Japan. Yunnan willow is produced in Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou, and Sichuan, China. Purple willow is produced in the lower Yangtze River basin of China. Large-leaf willow is produced in Sichuan Province, China. Cotton willow has been introduced in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou in China.

Propagation Methods of Willow

Willow is commonly propagated by cuttings, which can maintain the excellent characteristics of the mother tree. Cutting propagation is the main method, but sowing and raising seedlings can also be used. Cuttings are carried out in early spring. Select superior plants with fast growth and few diseases and pests as mother trees for collecting cuttings. Before budding, cut 2- to 3-year-old branches and cut them into 15 to 17 cm lengths as cuttings. Insert them directly at a row spacing of 20×30 cm. After insertion, water thoroughly, keep the soil moist frequently, remove buds and weeds in time, and apply topdressing 3 to 4 times after rooting. Young seedlings are susceptible to damage by weevils, aphids, and willow leaf beetles. For sowing and seedling raising, collect seeds in April and sow them immediately after collection. The thousand-seed weight is 0.4 grams, the germination rate is 70 to 80%, about 0.25 kg is sown per mu, and the seedling height in the same year is 80 to 100 cm. Transplanting is suitable from after leaf fall in winter to before buds sprout in early spring of the following year. After planting, water thoroughly and set up supports.

Medicinal Value of Willow

1. Willow flower: Willow flower, also called willow seed, is cool in nature and soft; used as pillow filling, it has the effect of calming the nerves and inducing sleep. If willow flower is ground finely, it can treat jaundice, coughing blood, vomiting blood, blood in the stool, and amenorrhea in women, and external use can also treat toothache.

2. Willow leaf: Willow leaf has the same effects as willow catkin and is rich in tannins. It has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, promoting diuresis and reducing swelling. Decocted in water, it can treat upper respiratory tract infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, cystitis, mumps, and pharyngitis, and applied externally after being pounded, it can treat heel pain.

3. Willow branch: Willow branch is a traditional wonderful bone-setting medicine in Chinese medicine. Decocted in water, it can treat coronary heart disease, chronic bronchitis, urinary tract infections, burns and scalds, etc. Decocted in water for fumigation and washing, it has obvious curative effects on rheumatic and rheumatoid arthritis.

4. Willow root: Willow root can dispel wind and promote diuresis, reduce swelling and relieve pain. It can treat breast abscess, toothache, otitis media, jaundice, and other diseases. Boiled with wine and taken orally, its wind-dispelling, swelling-reducing, and pain-relieving effects are even better.

5. Willow bark: Willow bark can eliminate phlegm and improve eyesight, clear heat and dispel wind. Decocted in water for fumigation and washing, it can also treat stubborn scabies and ringworm.

6. Willow debris: Willow debris is the frass in wormholes bored in willow trees. Decocted in water for bathing or heated and wrapped in cloth for warm compresses, it can treat prurigo and dermatitis.