Castle Howard Arboretum Trust - Furniture Makers Trees

Botanical name: Salix alba

Family: Salicaceae

Common Name: White Willow

Habitat and Distribution:

Natural distribution throughout Britain, but commonest in England and throughout central and southern Europe, North Africa and parts of Asia.

Generally found by streams, riverbanks and water meadow margins in association with Alder and downy birch but not in waterlogged soils.
The tree is widely naturalized throughout the United States

Description:

A deciduous tree to 25 metres (80 ft) tall and about two-thirds in width. The tree has a rounded crown with branches low to the ground, it grows quickly.

The leaves are long, 5-10 cms. (2-4 in) and narrow, 1 cm (0.5 in) wide, medium green in colour, with white silky hairs above and thick white down beneath. In autumn the leaves turn bronze-yellow and drop late.

Catkins open in late April and May, the males showy, yellow and 3.7-5.5 cm (1.5-2.2 in) long, the females are green and about the same length; these ripen to form fruiting catkins which split to release white tufted seeds in June

The bark is yellowish, ridged and furrowed. The stems are a medium yellow, and slender and flexible.

Location within the arboretum:

The tree can be found in the old entrance gate area, about half way along, by the turreted wall

Furniture Makers Trees at The Arboretum - Kew at Castle Howard

Timber:

The timber is tough, lightweight and pale brown in colour, some cuts display a moiré figure

Uses:

The moiré figure is valued when sliced for veneers and marquetry.

The lightweight timber is often used for plywood corestock.

The shoots are used for rough baskets and hurdles; willow is often pollarded every 4-5 years to produce a crop of straight poles.

Willow has long been used in folk medicine as it contains a precursor to salicylic acid, it has been applied against pain, fevers, inflammation and headaches.