White willow
Scientific name: Salix alba L.
Family name: Salicaceae
MORPHOLOGY
Habit and dimensions: deciduous tree that can reach heights between 10 and 25 meters, with a wide, light, and rounded crown. It has a straight trunk.
Bark: silver-gray in young specimens, which tends to darken and crack with age.
Leaves: simple, narrow, lanceolate, with serrated margins. The underside of the leaves has a dense hairiness arranged parallel to the central vein.
Flowers: catkin inflorescences that appear together with the leaves in spring. Female flowers are slightly shorter than male ones.
Fruits and seeds: cone-shaped capsule fruits. Upon ripening, they split open into two, releasing cottony seeds.
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT
The white willow is native to Europe and Western Asia, but over the years it has been introduced and naturalized in many other parts of the world. In Italy, it is present in all regions, from sea level up to 1400 meters altitude. It prefers humid habitats and well-drained soils, such as wetlands, riverbanks, and marshes. However, it can adapt to diverse environmental conditions.
USE
The wood is light, soft, and easily workable, used in the paper industry and for the production of furniture, trellises, baskets, and musical instruments. Thanks to its adaptability and the ability to propagate easily, the plant is often cultivated for ornamental purposes and in soil erosion control along watercourses. The leaves are traditionally used for the production of methyl salicylate, a compound used in the production of aspirin, while tannin is extracted from the bark, used as a disinfectant and healing agent.
INTERESTING FACTS
The specific epithet, “alba,” derives from the light color of the leaves, bark, and flowers. The white willow is often present in the mythology and traditions of various cultures. In Celtic and Norse mythology, for example, it is associated with the concept of rebirth and renewal.
Photo: Used under the free license of Saxifraga-Peter Meininger, Marijke Verhagen, and Rutger Barendse
