White willow wood - light and strong enough to make small furniture, clogs and cricket bats

White willow is not a suitable wood for furniture because it is difficult to machine. However, over the years there have been attempts to use it in this area as well, some of them with relative success. Many years ago, we had as a research topic the introduction of willow as a species for furniture making. Architects, wood industry engineers, finishing engineers were involved to make a strong bookcase model that could be taken up by factories. The library turned out quite well, but it was never built because the wood frequently warped when drying, cracked and broke when machined. But it finished well, so for me there were no problems. Find out what willow wood is good for, what it looks like and what the tree's characteristics are below.

A herbal remedy very similar to aspirin

Before it was a source of wood, willow was used as a remedy for headaches and toothaches, as well as other ailments. It is often called nature's aspirin. Ancient Egyptians used willow bark and buds to treat wounds and fevers. In the Middle Ages, in many parts of Europe willow bark was chewed to relieve toothache. Some boiled it in water, and the resulting drink was used as a remedy for diarrhea, to reduce joint inflammation caused by arthritis or to relieve sore throats. Iron was used to clean wounds and stop bleeding. Learn more about modern studies on the beneficial effects of willow bark here.

Willow branches have been used since ancient times as a religious symbol or defense against evil spirits. The Chinese believed that willow leaves warded off these spirits. They were used on religious holidays and are still used to celebrate Palm Sunday. In some areas, however, over time, it has been associated with sadness and mourning, and is thus mentioned in poems. In Hamlet, Ophelia drowns herself beside a willow tree, adding to the sadness and drama.

Area of origin - Europe, Central Asia and North Africa

White willow (Salix alba, in Latin) is native to Europe and Central Asia, with a fairly wide range. It covers the whole of Europe, except in the north, where the lack of light and water means that it does not have a suitable environment. In Asia it ranges from the Caucasus and lower Asia to the Himalayas and China. In Africa it is found in the north, Algeria being the country where it is most common. In Romania we find it from the plains, where it grows in flood plains, to the hills and lower mountain areas. It thrives very well in alluvial, fertile and waterlogged soils, withstanding prolonged flooding very well. It is very light-loving.

Willow is part of the Salicaceae where there are over 400 varieties of willow. The best known are white willow, black willow (Salix nigra) and weeping willow (Salix babylonica). There are several kinds of white willow, wicker (Salix alba vitelina) is known for its thin, springy, reddish-yellow, thin, elastic, reddish-yellow husks used to make braided baskets. New varieties are obtained by hybridization, the best known of which is the white willow and Salix fragilis (also a hybrid) used for cricket bats. The hybrid is even called cricket willow or English willow.

In the literature you can find it as white wilow in English, white willow in Italian and white willow in French.

A water-loving tree that can live for 100 years

White willow is the largest of the willow species, with trees reaching up to 25-27 m in height and 2m in diameter. Fast-growing, it reaches maturity after 20-30 years and often lives to be 100 years old. Over time, the inside of the trunk rots to form large bark.

The root is much spread in the ground. The trunk, often crooked, is covered with greenish-gray bark, deeply spreading very quickly and has an approximate tannin content of 6%. The crown is irregularly branched. The leaves are slender, oval, lighter in color than other willow species due to fine, silky, silvery-white silvery-white hairs on the underside. This is why it is also called the white willow. The flowers are female and male and grow on different trees. The male flowers are yellow, clustered, 4-6 cm long and the female flowers are green, 4 cm long. After pollination, the female flowers develop small seed capsules covered with white down which are spread by the wind.

Light wood with good shock resistance, but no resistance to water, fungi and insects

In cross-section through the trunk of the white willow you can see the difference between the sapwood and the heartwood, but the differentiation is not always very clear. The sapwood is very light in color, light yellow to white, and the heartwood is tan to pinkish-brown. Annual rings are only distinct in mature specimens. The fiber is straight and the texture is uniform, medium fine. The pores are semi-round, medium to large, without a specific arrangement, medium to numerous in density. There is a very small difference in pore size between the pores of early and late wood, but it is hardly visible. The medullary rays are narrow, invisible to the naked eye but visible with a magnifying glass.

Willow wood is lightweight, just like poplar wood, with an average dry density of 400 kg/m³. It is shock resistant and has moderate hardness, the Janka index is 2530 N. The compressive strength in transverse direction is low, therefore the shrubs bend easily and can be used to make braided baskets. White willow wood is perishable, with very low resistance to water, fungi and insects. It dries easily, but tends to develop various defects: cracks, bends, twists. It easily absorbs atmospheric water and becomes dimensional instability.

Being a light wood, it is mechanically difficult to process, resulting in a rough surface that is difficult to sand. It is more easily worked with hand tools and carved without problems. It cuts easily, but drying defects lead to large losses of wood mass. Glues easily and although it is a stained wood, it stains and finishes smoothly.

Useful for wood carvers, but also in industry

Willow wood is used primarily for paper, pulp and wood fiber. The shoots are used to make baskets and woven fences. Wood is not used in the furniture industry because it is difficult to process. However, it is used by craftsmen to make spoons, platters, bowls and other such objects. It was frequently used in the past to make the famous Dutch clogs.

Carpenters sometimes use it to make small furniture, small tables or children's stools. Being a light wood, it is preferred for packaging bottles and other objects. Boxes and crates are made from willow.

Not good as firewood. Its high water content makes it difficult to burn, with high smoke and low heat release. It is also not used for matches, but is used to make toothpicks. A charcoal made from willow wood is used to make gunpowder.

The most popular use of white willow wood is for cricket bats. As already mentioned, a hybrid obtained and grown in England is used. Experts say that only from that wood are quality bats made, with local growing conditions contributing to the quality of the bats. However, they are not made to last very long and are often replaced.

I hope you find the above information useful. As always, additions are welcome. And if you have any questions or queries, please leave them below in the space provided. I will be sure to reply.

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