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Plants

Salix 'Bowles hybrid'

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Salix genus in the family Salicaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Salix
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
vigorous
Height
5 m
Fertility
self sterile
Flower type
dioecious
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Inner bark - cooked. It is usually harvested in the winter and spring, and can be dried, ground into a powder and added to flour, for use in making bread etc. A famine food, only used when all else fails[6]. Young shoots - cooked. They are not very palatable[6]. There are no edible uses listed for Salix 'Bowles hybrid'.

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The fresh bark of all members of this genus contains salicin[5], which probably decomposes into salicylic acid (closely related to aspirin) in the human body[4]. This is used as an anodyne and febrifuge[5].

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The stems are very flexible and are used in basket making[2]. 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 plants are very fast growing, capable of reaching a height of 3 metres in their first year from cuttings. They are also very tolerant of maritime exposure and make an excellent shelterbelt, though the plants are rather bare in winter and do not offer so much wind protection at this time[K]. In order to make an effective shelter, it is best to encourage plenty of side branches by cutting the plants back almost to ground level after their first year's growth[K]. Also cutting them back to about 1 metre tall after their second year of growth will provide an even better framework of branches[K]. The plant's rapid growth and wind tolerance make it a very good pioneer species to use in establishing woodland conditions in difficult sites. Spacing cuttings about every 5 metres will soon provide shelter and a suitable environment for planting out woodland trees that are not so wind tolerant. The main disadvantage in using this species is that the roots are far-ranging and the plant is quite greedy, so it will not as much effect as species such as the alders (Alnus species) in enriching the soil and thus feeding the woodland plants[K]. One strong advantage is that the plant is a male clone and so will not spread itself about where it is not wanted[K].

Environment

Range
A hybrid of garden origin.
Habitat
Not known in a truly wild situation.
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
high
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral
Tolerances
high wind, maritime exposure
Wind
Yes
Maritime
Yes
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - this hybrid is a male cultivar, it does not produce seed. 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. Branches of older wood up to 2.5m long can be used. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, June to August in a frame. Very easy.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in most soils, including wet, ill-drained or intermittently flooded soils[1], but prefers a damp, heavy soil in a sunny position[3]. Rarely thrives on chalk[3]. A very fast growing plant, capable of making new shoots up to 5 metres long in one growing season, especially if the plants are coppiced[K]. Trees respond badly to transplanting unless they are moved regularly. The root system is rather aggressive and can cause problems with drains and the foundations of buildings[3]. This is especially prevalent on clay soils. It is best not to plant trees within 12 metres of buildings. Although the plant produces catkins and is wind pollinated, the flowers are also a good source of nectar. This makes them a very important food plant for many species of caterpillars and a good bee plant, providing an early source of nectar and pollen. Dioecious, but only the male form is known. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[3].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

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  3. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  4. Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-449-90589-6

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  5. Lauriault. J. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Ontario. 1989-00-00 ISBN 0889025649

    ↩1↩2

  6. Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.

    ↩1↩2

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