Practical
Plants

Salix pulchra

Tealeaf Willow

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
Height
1 m
Spread
1 m
Fertility
Self sterile, Bees
Flower type
dioecious
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Edible uses

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

Inner bark - raw or cooked[3][4]. It can be dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups or can be 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[3]. Young shoots and leaves - raw or cooked[8]. They are not very palatable[3]. The leaves and shoots can be eaten with oil to make them more palatable[8]. A good source of vitamin C, they are one of the first new leaves to be produced in the spring[8]. The leaves can be added to soups or eaten in mixed salads[8]. Catkins[4]. No more details are given. The dried leaves have been used to make a tea[8].

Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Inner bark
Plant part
Leaves
Product or use
Tea

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.

An infusion of the leaves and bark has been used as an anaesthetic[8].The bark and the leaves have been chewed to numb the mouth and throat[8]. They have also been chewed as a treatment for mouth sores and are said to make the mouth smell good[8]. The cottony seed floss has been used to dry moist eyes[8]. The fresh bark of all members of this genus contains salicin[7], which probably decomposes into salicylic acid (closely related to aspirin) in the human body[6]. This is used as an anodyne and febrifuge[7].

Product or use
Anaesthetic
Product or use
Anodyne
Product or use
Febrifuge
Product or use
Mouthwash

Environment

Range
N. Europe. N. Asia. Northern N. America.
Habitat
Stream banks, lake sides, open woods etc in north-western N. America[9].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
high
Hardiness
Zone 2+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

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.

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][2], but prefers a damp, heavy soil in a sunny position[5]. Rarely thrives on chalk[5]. Considered to be part of S. phylicifolia by some botanists[9]. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[5]. Although the flowers are produced in catkins early in the year, they are pollinated by bees and other insects rather than by the wind[2]. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[5]. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

References

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

  4. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

  8. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9

  9. Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press 1955-00-00

    ↩1↩2

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