The white willow (Salix alba) is named for the characteristic white sheen on the underside of its leaves, caused by a coat of fine, silky hairs. A large, low-branching tree that forms a broad, spreading crown, its root system is shallow —about 24 inches —and wide-spreading. The white willow is deciduous and flowers catkins in early spring.
Though fast-growing, these trees are susceptible to several diseases, including watermark disease and willow anthracnose. It adapts to coarse, fine, and medium textured soils, has a high anaerobic tolerance and low drought tolerance. [1]
Stems, either from coppicing or pollarding, can be used for basket-making, and charcoal from the wood for gunpowder. Traditionally, they were also woven to make hurdle fencing for handling livestock, particularly sheep. Cricket bats are made from a cultivated derivative of the white willow.[2]
Perhaps most notably, white willow bark is a source of salicin which is broken down to salicylic acid, the main component in aspirin. Compounds of salicylic acid are also found in meadowsweet (Spirea ulmaria). The chemical acetylsalicylic acid, a derivative of salicylic acid, inspired the generic name aspirin.[3]
As noted by the Aspirin Foundation (http://www.aspirin-foundation.com/what/timeline.html), the use of white willow dates back to Hippocrates, who gave women willow leaf tea to reduce childbearing pains. The tree’s bark has been used throughout the centuries in China and Europe to treat pain, headache, and inflammatory conditions such as bursitis and tendinitis, as well as to bring down fever, relieve nasal allergies such as hayfever, and as an analgesic. Early Americans and Europeans used extracts for headaches, fever, gout and pain.
Today, willow bark is available as herbal medicine and clinical trials find it effective against osteoarthritic pain.[4] In its herbal form, white willow appears to be slower than aspirin to bring pain relief, but its effects may last longer. No major white willow bark side effects have been reported in the medical literature except for anaphylaxis in a person who was allergic to aspirin. Because of their chemical similarities, it is possible that white willow bark may have similar side effects as aspirin, which include stomachache, ringing in the ears, nausea, and gastrointestinal bleeding.[5]
[1] Kartesz, J. “USDA plants profile for Salix Alba.” 2011. http://plants.usda.gov/java/charProfile?symbol=SAAL2
[2] Eastaway, R. “Cricket Explained.” 1993.
[3] Jeffreys, D. Aspirin, The Remarkable Story of a Wonder Drug, New York: Bloomsbury. 2005.
[4] Chrubasik,S., et al. Treatment of low back pain exacerbations with willow bark extract: a randomized double-blind study. American Journal of Medicine, 109: 9-14. 2000.
[5] Sahelian, R. “White willow bark and herb side effects, benefits.” 2011. http://www.raysahelian.com/whitewillowbark.html
