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NAME: Black Willow

SPECIES / FAMILY:  Salix Nigra / Salicaceae

OTHER COMMON NAME(S): 

CONDITIONS: full sun
 

PARTS:	EDIBLE	TASTE	RAW/COOK	SEASON
All
Shoots
Leaves	young	bitter	RAW/COOK	Spring/Summer
Stalk/Stem
Buds
Flowers
Fruits
Pods
Seeds
Nuts
Roots
Bark	inner	bitter	RAW/COOK

 

PORTION: small

 

COMMENT: Inner bark - raw or cooked. It can be dried, ground into a powder and then 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. Young shoots/leaves - raw or cooked. They are not very palatable.(1)

 

CAUTION: For white willow (and perhaps all willows), “Gastrointestinal bleeding & kidney damage possible. Avoid concurrent administration with other aspirin-like drugs. Avoid during pregnancy. Drug interactions associated with salicylates applicable,” https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Salix+alba

 

NUTRITION/MEDICINAL:  Anodyne;  Antiinflammatory;  Antiperiodic;  Antiseptic;  Astringent;  Diaphoretic;  Diuretic;  Febrifuge;  Hypnotic;  Sedative;  Tonic.The bark is anodyne, anti-inflammatory, antiperiodic, antiseptic, astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic, febrifuge, hypnotic, sedative, tonic[4, 7, 9, 21, 165]. It has been used in the treatment of gonorrhoea, ovarian pains and nocturnal emissions[4]. The bark of this species is used interchangeably with S. alba. It is taken internally in the treatment of rheumatism, arthritis, gout, inflammatory stages of auto-immune diseases, diarrhoea, dysentery, feverish illnesses, neuralgia and headache[238]. The bark can be used as a poultice on cuts, wounds, sprains, bruises, swellings etc[257]. The bark is removed during the summer and dried for later use[238]. The leaves are used internally in the treatment of minor feverish illnesses and colic[238]. The leaves can be harvested throughout the growing season and are used fresh or dried[238]. The fresh bark contains salicin, which probably decomposes into salicylic acid (closely related to aspirin) in the human body[213]. This is used as an anodyne and febrifuge[213] and as an ingredient of spring tonics[229].(1)

 

LOOK-A-LIKES / RELATED:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salix_babylonica#Horticultural_selections_and_related_hybrids

 

POISONOUS LOOK-A-LIKES: 

 

OTHER USES: Basketry;  Charcoal;  Hair;  Paper;  Soil stabilization;  Tannin;  Wood.(1)  Willows make great root starter - https://www.attainable-sustainable.net/rooting-hormone and easy to propagate through cuttings in water and put directly into the soil - https://www.ecofriendlyincome.com/blog/how-to-identify-propagate-black-willow-salix-nigra

 

SOURCE LINKS (may include nutritional and medicinal info, plus other uses):

1. https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Salix+nigra
2. http://www.eattheweeds.com/salix-caroliniana-nothing-would-be-finer-2
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salix_nigra
4. http://www.foragingtexas.com/2008/08/willow.html  (good photos)
5. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Salix_nigra (photos)
6. https://www.artofmanliness.com/skills/outdoor-survival/how-to-harvest-and-use-natures-aspirin