Biology

Willow blossom proffers a great service during the spring months by providing an early source of nectar and pollen for foraging bees. Without this rich food source many bees would perish.

Most trees are cultivated using seeds. For instance when a forester plants a stand of oaks they would have originated from individual acorns each with its own genetic make up. Some will grow to become majestic trees whilst others will form puny runts that will be thinned out at the first opportunity. Once a large oak has been identified acorns will be taken from that tree to provide planting material for future forests but again these will include that same distribution of good, bad and mediocre.

Willows in the service of man – Ken Stott OBE.

This article was a huge inspiration for the Wondertree project. It is a scholarly piece that looks at the many uses of the genus Salix.

Reproduced with kind permission from the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Willows: Plant Profile – Kevin Lindegaard

Activity 3        Soothe your sore throat

Willow bark has been used for thousands of years for its excellent medicinal and pain relieving qualities. It contains the chemical compound salicin, a chemical related to acetylsalicylic acid, which in its synthetic form is known as aspirin. The recipe in this activity can be used as a natural remedy against colds and sore throats.

Activity 6         Grow Your Own Mistletoe by Infecting a Willow Branch

Most people will have used mistletoe to decorate their houses at Christmas and the lucky ones will even have had a Christmas kiss under a sprig. But come Twelfth Night don’t throw your mistletoe away – instead why not use the berries to create your own renewable resource and help in the conservation of the species.