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Willows and Willow Harvesting

There are a number of species of willow, Salix, to be found growing in the UK including weeping willow, goat or pussy willow and white willow. Some grow as shrubs whilst others mature into stately trees, the largest, the Crack willow, S. fragilis, reaching over 25m.

Many will associate willow with basketry while others think of cricket where traditionally it has been used to make bats. The bark of goat willow, S. capraea, contains both tannin, used to tan leather, and salicylic acid, the active ingredient of aspirin. To beat a boy with a willow rod was once believed to stunt his growth!

Willows are known by a variety of names including sallow, osier, withy and palm.

Relatively short lived, 50 years being considered a good age, willows are prone to attack by a variety of insects and fungi. The goat willow and also the common willow, S. cinerea, play host to the larvae of the Purple Emperor, possible one of the country's most spectacular but elusive butterflies.

The pliable branches of the osiers, or basketry willows, are harvested annually by coppicing - removing all the branches a little above ground level. Their rapid growth, up to 2m a year, makes this possible.

CROW regularly harvests the willow from the beds at Kings Meadow (adjacent to Napier Road), some of which is used locally for weaving and for plant supports. CROW has also harvested willow from Christchurch Meadow.

Willow harvesting Kings Meadow - 2006 Christchurch Meadow - 2004