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This tree of the family Yew is widely known as the willow white or silver, the willow, the rakita and the willow. It prefers wet, damp places and grows along the banks of rivers, ponds and ponds. Willows often form whole groves that stretch along the water's edge for considerable distances. Thanks to a well-branched root system, trees are used to strengthen the banks of water bodies and ravines.
You can describe the willow white as a large dioecious tree with a large crown, which grows to a height of 20-30 meters. This distinguishes it from other species of the family, most of whose representatives are shrubs. Willow is photophilous, frost-resistant and not too demanding for soils. She prefers sandy or sandy-silty moist soil, well tolerates urban conditions and can live up to 100 years.
Crown of white willow spreading, hipped form. The trunk is powerful, covered with a dark-gray bark with cracks. Leaves are simple, petiolate, with stipules.From above they are green, and from below they are white. The tree is an early and valuable honeycomb. Small flowers are collected in cylindrical earrings. Blossoms willow at the same time with the appearance of leaves, in April-May, and in May-June, the seeds are ripening.
Reproduction, cultivation and care
The tree can multiply by seeds, but as they quickly lose their germination capacity, this method is practically not used for breeding. The white willow shoots rarely, therefore vegetative propagation is applied with stem cuttings, which are cut before bud budding. Cuttings quickly take root. Previously, they can be put in water to form roots, and then planted in the ground.
When planting for each seedling, prepare small pits the size, x, m, which must be filled with a mixture of soil, peat, compost and manure. Choose a place that is sunny, well lit. Young seedlings require watering, fertilizing with mineral fertilizers and shaping the crown.
Healing properties of white willow
This tree is widely known in folk medicine. As a medicinal raw material, the bark of white willow is used, the medicinal properties of which are determined by the content of such substances:
- vitamin C;
- flavones;
- lignin;
- catechins;
- anthocyanins;
- glycoside salicin;
- tannins.
The bark of the white willow is harvested from March to May, when the sap flow is slow, and it is well separated from the branches. For billet use shoots at the age of 2-3 to 6-7 years. Then the bark is dried until it becomes brittle. Prepared in this way, medicinal raw materials can be stored and used for 4 years.
Decoction of the willow bark is used as an antipyretic agent for feverish conditions, rheumatism, inflammation of the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines. It has disinfectant, astringent properties and is used as an anti-inflammatory agent for stomatitis, gingivitis, catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, angina and acute respiratory infections.
The broth has haemostatic, diuretic and choleretic qualities. Outwardly, it is used to rinse the throat and mouth, it is used for foot baths with sweating, skin diseases and varicose veins. The healing properties of willow white make it possible to use also a powder from its bark as a hemostatic agent.
Use of white willow bark in folk medicine
To prepare a decoction of 1 tbsp. A spoonful of ground raw material should be poured into enameled dishes of 200 ml of boiling water. Then, for 20 minutes to stand in a water bath, strain, without waiting for cooling, and bring boiled water to the original volume.
For outdoor use, in addition to the decoction, you can prepare an infusion of willow bark. To do this, a glass of dry minced raw material is poured with a liter of steep boiling water and insisted for 30 minutes. The resulting infusion is added to a basin of hot water intended for foot baths. This tool not only makes it easier for varicose veins, but also effective against sweating of the legs.
Decoction of the willow bark is used for hair loss. For its preparation 1 tbsp. a spoon of crushed dry bark and 1 tbsp. a spoonful of burdock roots are poured, l of water and put on a water bath for 20 minutes. After this, it is insisted for 2 hours and filtered. Ready-made broth is used to wash hair when they fall out.
The use of white contraindications inside the willow bark is:
- Sensitivity to salicylates.
- Pregnancy and lactation.
- Stomach ulcer and duodenal ulcer.
- Allergic diseases and bronchial asthma.
It is not recommended to use this drug to treat children and adolescents until they reach 16 years of age. Another of the contraindications is the simultaneous administration of medications prescribed for colds, cough, amino acid, antacids, vitamins and aspirin.
Use of white willow in needlework
Flexible rods of white weeping willows are used for making hedges and various handicrafts. This fascinating occupation is a common type of needlework. Baskets, trays, decor items and even furniture woven from willow twigs will decorate the interior and bring in it a piece of living heat and natural atmosphere.
For weaving, use one-year and two-year willow shoots. They should be harvested in the early spring, when growth has not yet begun, or in late autumn, when it has already ceased. The rods must be straight, flexible, elastic, without damaging the bark and with healthy wood.
Learning to weave simple products is not difficult, you just need to be patient and willow twigs. This tree will give you a passion for many years, and the accumulated experience and skill can be used for making more complex items, for example, furniture. Wicker from wicker rods furniture is beautiful, reliable, easy to care for, and will be able to last for many years.
White willow in landscape design
This unpretentious tree, which we also know as the verba, rakita or willow white tristis, is used in ornamental horticulture for the greening of parks and squares. Especially good conditions for willows where there are ponds, large or small. It is appreciated for the rather rapid growth and original shape of the crown. This allows us to successfully use the tree in the formation of the landscape landscape.
As can be seen in the photo, the willow white has a spreading crown with dangling branches. It looks great both in solitary plantings and in landscape compositions. This tree will be a spectacular decoration of the site in the English style, which provides asymmetry, free planning and maximum approximation to natural conditions.
Long before Christianity, our ancestors worshiped the white willow. Willow rods were used as a remedy against the evil eye, and a broom of them served in the house as a kind of amulet. This value was given to this tree, since it was believed that the willow possesses a great vitality, dissolves first and, before other trees, takes from the sun pure spring energy.
