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Salix cinerea

Common names: common willow/sallow, grey willow/sallow, rusty willow  

Irish name: Saileach rua 

Latin name: Salix cinerea  

Family: Salicaceae 

Origin: Native 

Tree type: Broadleaf tree

In Ireland, Salix cinerea consists of two subspecies that have some differences in appearance, distinct geographical distributions and environmental preferences. They include the grey willow (subsp. cinerea) and the more common, rusty willow (subsp. Oleifolid). 

How it looks

Shape, bark, twigs 

Rusty willow 

Rusty willow is grows taller than the Grey willow subspecies, sometimes reaching up to 10-15 metres in height. It grows a well-developed trunk with grey-brown bark and diamond-shaped fissures when mature. Twigs are hairy at first but can become smooth, and appear red-yellow in sunlight. The wood under the bark is ridged. 

Grey willow 

Generally, grey willow is a lower-spreading bush, rarely growing taller than 10 metres. The twigs have dense grey-down, and under the bark, the second-year wood is smooth but marked with long, thin, parallel streaks. 

Buds 

Both subspecies have red, narrow buds, pressed close to the twig. 

Leaves 

Rusty willow 

The leaves of rusty willow are oval, at least twice as long as wide, growing to around 6cm long and are broadest above the middle. The underside of the leaf is rough to the touch, composed of a mixture of grey and brown hairs, giving them the appearance of being rusty. On the upper side of the leaves are a dark green, which starts hairy but becomes hairless as they age. The leaf margins appear wavy. 

Grey willow 

Grey willow leaves grow to 10cm long and 4.5cm wide, broadest about the middle. They taper at the base and are shortly pointed or rounded at the tip. The leaf margins also appear wavy. The upper leaf is a dull green, which starts hairy but loses this hair over time. The underside has persistent soft grey hairs.  

Flowers 

Both subspecies are dioecious, meaning male and female flowers grow on separate trees. The catkins open around April before the leaves appear and are erect and stalkless. Male catkins are 2-3 cm in length, grey and oval, becoming yellow with pollen when ripe. The female catkins are longer and green. 

Fruits 

Once pollinated by wind, female catkins develop into woolly seeds. Like most willows, they can also propagate themselves by lowering their branches to the ground to establish roots. 

Similar species 

Several willow species hybridise with one another, making them hard to identify. Grey/rusty willow often hybridises with the goat willow, Salix caprea. It is also most like the goat willow. To tell them apart, grey/rusty willow has narrower leaves and persistently hairy twigs, and the catkins are smaller and appear a few weeks later. 

 

Where to find it

The rusty willow is the most common of all willows found in Ireland. It has a much wider range of habitats than grey willow, growing on acid or basic soils by streams, bog edges and marshes, moist woodland edges, and hedgerows. It has been recorded from sea level to around 600 metres. On the continent, rusty willow is restricted to western France, Spain, and Portugal.  

The grey willow is found in base-rich fens and marshes at low altitudes. It is found most in Co. Down, Northern Ireland, with a few small populations elsewhere in Ireland. Grey willow has an extensive distribution on the continent, extending from Scandinavia through Holland, eastern France, and Italy eastwards to Siberia. 

Cultural Importance

History | Myth, Legend and Folklore | Arts and Literature 

History 

Burnt material unearthed at Mesolithic (c. 8000-4000 BC) and Neolithic (c. 4000-2500 BC) period archaeological sites in Co. Tyrone in 2006-2007, demonstrates that early communities on the Island of Ireland were burning willow for various reasons as far back as 8400 years ago. Additional evidence from archaeological sites in the Irish midlands and Wicklow, indicate that willow continued to be used for fuel for different purposes, such as cooking and industry, from the Neolithic through to the Medieval period (c. 400-1600 AD).  

Willow was also used to make a type of rope or binding in antiquity. Hammer stones excavated at the Bronze Age (c. 2500-800 BC) mining site at Mount Gabriel, Co. Cork were found bound to a wooden handle with willow withies or rods. In the ancient Irish texts from the early Medieval period, there are also numerous references to the use of willow withies for tying up livestock.   

Along with other wood species, willow was used in Ireland during the Bronze Age and Iron Age (c. 800 BC – 400 AD) in the construction of wooden trackways that allowed people to traverse bogs and access their resources. Similarly, finds from archaeological excavations at Islandbridge in Dublin show that willow was used to make post and wattle fences during the late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age period. This type of wickerwork was also used in the construction of houses, baskets, scallops for thatching and other domestic items; practices which continued into later periods. It is likely that Willow, amongst other trees, was carefully managed and coppiced specifically for these everyday needs, especially from the Medieval period onwards. Willow continued to be used in Ireland for basketry and thatching right into the 20th century. 

Willow was also valuable for making objects. For instance, an Iron Age mallet made of willow was found deposited within a bog trackway during archaeological excavation at Edercloon, Co. Longford. It is possible that the mallet had originally been used to construct the trackway. In addition, Methers – Irish medieval ceremonial drinking vessels on which the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) MacCarthy Cup is styled – were sometimes carved from willow. As were harps – the 14th century Brian Boru Harp, now housed in Trinity College Dublin, is made from willow. 

Medicinally, different parts of the willow were traditionally used to relieve pain associated with a headache or toothache and general aches and pains. In medieval times, the bark was chewed to release the salicin. Additionally, the bark was boiled in water to create a medicinal syrup that was taken to relieve digestive complaints, reduce joint inflammation, and act as a gargle for sore throats. 

In view of its usefulness in so many areas of life, it is unsurprising that in early medieval Ireland willow was deemed valuable. As a result, it featured in the early Irish tree lists as one of the ‘Commoners of the Wood’. If a person unlawfully damaged or felled one of these trees, they would have to pay a hefty fine in compensation amounting to as much as two milch cows and a three-year-old heifer. The willow was of such significance during this period that it was used to represent the character for the letter ‘S’ in the early Irish Ogham alphabet, taking the following form: 

Furthermore, it was so widespread throughout the country that willow features in many Irish placenames. Examples include Clonsilla or Cluain Saileach in Co. Dublin which translates as meadow of the willow’ and Parknasilla or Páirc na Saileach in Co. Kerry, which means ‘the field of the willows’ Co. Kerry. 

Willow has been similarly valued by different cultures across the world for various purposes, including for its medicinal uses and in the construction of different types of wickerwork, such as basketry and matting. Willow baskets have been unearthed during archaeological excavations at, for instance, Mesolithic (c. 7500 BC) sites in the Iberian Peninsula and Roman sites in the UK (c. AD 43 to AD 410), As in Ireland, Willow bark has also been used medicinally throughout the world for thousands of years to treat various ailments. For example, the Assyrians, Egyptians, and Greeks used it to treat pain, inflammation and fever.  

Myth, Legend and Folklore 

Willow is traditionally associated with themes of life, fertility, good luck and protection, and often connected with water and milk. In Irish folklore, it was seen as good luck to take a rod of willow, or as it was better known, a ‘sally rod’, with oneself on a journey. Likewise, wrapping a sally rod around a milk churn was believed to guarantee good butter or encourage the butter to form. Additionally, it was believed that willow charcoal could cause hair to regrow on an animal where it had previously gone bald. On account of its flexible nature, there was also the belief that hanging willow over one’s door would cause the inhabitants of the house to dance uncontrollably. 

In Scotland, willow rods were used as ‘Bride’s Wands’ at the time of the Bride’s Eve festival in February. In different parts of England, hanging willow over one’s door was thought variously to bring good luck to the house, and to protect against witches. 

Willow also features in the Irish myths. For example one story tells of how the King of Leinster, Labhraidh Loingseach’s ears were long like those of a horse, a fact that he kept hidden except from his barber who was sworn to secrecy. Developing an illness as a result of holding in this secret, the young barber whispered the secret to a local willow tree in order to get it off his chest. However, the tree is later cut down to make a harp that is played in the royal court, whereupon the harp sings only the words ‘Labhraidh Loingseach has horse’s ears!’, thus spreading the secret throughout the kingdom. 

Willow has multiple associations with milk and water in folklore and legend. Similarly, it is associated with the river Goddess Bóinn who was described in the myths as a great cow whose milk flowed in the river that we know today as the River Boyne. 

Arts and Literature 

The willow features frequently in literature. In early Irish poetry, the poet Suibhne Geilt refers to the tree as the ‘bright cheerful sallow’. It also features in a Medieval Irish Bardic poem in which Iubhdán, King of the Leprechauns, refer to it as a noble tree. The willow often crops up in later works such as the plays of William Shakespeare. More recently, it is cast in a negative light in the Harry Potter books in the form of the malevolent ‘Whomping Willow’. 

Perhaps one of the most famous homages to the willow in the arts is the William Morris pattern ‘Willow Boughs’, which he designed in 1887 and continues to adorn wallpaper and fabrics all over the world. 

Willow also features in songs, such as the Medieval folk song and carol, the ‘Bitter Withy’. 

Value to Wildlife

Grey/rusty willow is a top nectar producer for bees and nectar-feeding birds, such as bluetits. Its foliage is eaten by caterpillars of several moths, including the sallow kitten and lunar hornet clearwing. As this tree is so popular with caterpillars and other insects, birds use it to forage. 

Threats

Like other willows, grey/rusty willows are susceptible to watermark disease caused by the bacteria Brenneria salicis. Although this bacterium has not yet been recorded in Ireland, it has reached parts of the UK and has the potential to make its way over. The bacteria cause branches to die back and red leaves to develop in other parts of the crown, eventually killing the tree if left untreated. 

Uses

Willows have been valuable to humans for their medicinal purposes. The painkiller aspirin is derived from salicin, a compound found in the bark of all Salix species. They are popular for fencing, hedging and traditional crafts such as basket making. They are also valuable for ecological restoration in that they stabilise riverbanks and prevent soil erosion, protect against flooding and rehabilitate contaminated land by processing contaminants such as heavy metals. 

References

Irish Tree Explorers Network

Líonra Taiscéalaí Crainn na hÉireann

  • Dr Eoin Lettice, Senior Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Plant Science - E.Lettice@ucc.ie
  • Dr Barbara Doyle Prestwich, Head of Plant Science & Vice Head of School Senior Lecturer/Assoc.Prof. - b.doyle@ucc.ie
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