Arts, Environment and the Child: Walking the Wheel of the Seasons

Plant Study

Common Name:  Scouler’s Willow

Family Name: Willow  
Family Name:  Salicaceae

 

 

 

Latin Name:   Salix scouleriana
            (Also Known As):  Salix scouleriana Barratt ex Hook  

Common Names: Scouler’s Willow, Scouler Willow, Mountain Willow, Upland Willow

Other possible synonyms – S. brachystachys, S. brachystachys var. schouleriana, S. capreoides, S. flavescens, S. flavescens var capreoides, S. flavescens var scouleriana, S. nuttallii, S. nuttallii var. capreoides, S. scouleriana var. brachystachys, S. scouleriana var coetanea, S. scouleriana var. crassijulis, S. scouleriana var. flavescens, S. scouleriana var. poikila, S. scouleriana var. thompsonii, S. stagnalis.  (1:  on line).

Native American Names:  Chinook Jargon Vocabulary – ina stik.  (2:  online).

Related Species: S. hookeriana, S. sitchensis, S. acutifolia, S. alba, S. babylonica var. perkinensis, S. caprea, S. cinerea, S. dasyslados, S.elaeagnos, S. exiqua, S. faagilis,
S. gracilistyla, S. x grahamii, S. integra, S. interior, S. irrorata, S. koriyanagi,
S. myrsinifolia, S. nakamurana v. yezoalpina, S. pendulina, S. pentandra, S. purpurea,
S. repens, S. rigida, S. rubens, S. triandra, S. udensis, S. viminalis.

Body System Affiliations:

1. Nervous System

2. Reproductive System

3. First Aid

4. Skin

Botanical Description:
            Habit: Shrub or Small Tree – Perennial
            Size:  25’ – 50’ tall and 12” – 14” in diameter
            Arrangement: Alternate
            Leaves: Alternate; deciduous; 1 to 4 inches long and 0.5 – 1.5 inches wide, oval shaped with a rounded tip - broadest near tip, tapering to a narrow base; upper leaf surfaces are shiny and a dark yellow-green color; leaf undersides are gray in color and velvety (or hairy).
            Flowers: In catkins on short stalks. The male catkins, furry and silky are ¾” to 1 ½” long and soon fall off; the female catkins grow from 3/4” to 2 ½” long; tiny, dark brown to black bracts attach just below cottony seeds of the female catkins.  Catkins appear well before the leaves from February - April.
            Fruit: Small, brown 2” – 3 1/4” long-pointed, hairy capsules in oblong clusters; each capsule contains numerous small fuzzy seeds.
            Bark: Gray to gray-brown, smooth with diamond shaped pores or lenticels when young, later becoming shallowly fissured and scaly.
            Twigs: Slender, yellowish brown to red – may have some fuzz; red buds are large and pointed, with a single cap-like scale.
            Underground Parts: Woody, fibrous root.

Ecology:
Habitat: Upland thickets, shrub swamps, moist woods and clearings, streamside areas and lakeshores - low to middle elevations.
Range: Found primarily in the boreal forests of North America.  It is widely distributed, occurring in Canada from the Yukon Territory south through British Columbia and east through Alberta, Saskatchewan and into Manitoba.  In the United States, Scouler’s Willow occurs in Alaska, south through the western states and into Mexico in the mountains, and east to the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Native Where:  Sagebrush to Yellow Pine Zones, Olympics.
Ecological Relationships: Deer, rabbit, mouse and beaver browse.  Early spring catkins provide food for insects.  Hummingbirds are attracted to feed on insects attracted to catkins, providing an early source of protein.  Seed fuzz is used by hummingbirds to line their nests.  Many bird species feed, shelter, and nest in its branches.  Many insect species feed on willow.  May serve as host for Lorquin’s Admiral butterfly .
Places/Dates Observed/Description:  Observed each weekend since February 5th, 2006 at home - a 5 acre wetland parcel on Whidbey Island.  The catkins are fuzzy and in full force.  The habitat is moist woods and low in elevation.  There has been recent deer and rabbit activity, including antler rubbing and browse.

Western (European-American) Uses/Relationships (Salix spp.):

            Food:  None found.
            Materials/Technology:  Agro forestry; basket weaving; biofiltration; biomass energy (bioenergy); box, veneer; charcoal; constructed wetland; cricket bat; cradle board; furniture; doll, toy, whistle; ecological wastewater treatment system; energy forestry; part of the four species used on the Jewish holiday of Sukkot; fibre plant; fish trap; flute; hedge; land reclamation; landscaping; living willow sculpture; paper; phytoremediation; pole, tool handles; rope & string; streambed stabilization (bioengineering); soil erosion control; soil building; soil reclamation; shelterbelt & windbreak; sweat lodge; tannin; broom; wildlife habitat (3:  online).
Medicine:
Part Used:  Bark
                        Medicinal Actions: Anodyne
                        Indications: Pain, women’s complaints.
                        Body System Associations: Nervous System; Reproductive System.
                   Constituents:  Salicylic acid
Applications: Decoction, Tincture. 
Preparation:  The fresh bark of all members of this genus contains salicin which can be extracted by boiling the bark and making a tea.
Pharmacy:  Drink prepared tea 3 - 4 times daily.
Cautions: Do not administer if one is sensitive to aspirin or prone to ulcers, other gastrointestinal disorders or tinnitus.  Do not give children willow bark if they display cold or flu symptoms.  Willow bark should not be taken in conjunction with aspirin.  *Overdoses of willow bark may cause skin rash, stomach inflammation/irritation, nausea, vomiting, kidney inflammation, and tinnitus (6:  online). 

Indigenous and Non-Western Use/Significance/Relationships:
Food: None Found.
Materials/Technology:  Basketry;  clothing; cordage; sewing material; containers; hunting & fishing  items; toys & games; cleaning agent; cooking tools; walking sticks; tools; fasteners and ceremonial items (4:  online).   
Medicine:
                        Indigenous Group: Okanagan-Colville Indians of British Columbia and Washington (4:  online).
Part Used:  Inner bark, branches, sap, powdered tree fungus
                        Medicinal Actions: Anodyne; Astringent; Haemostatic;  
                        Indications: Pain, broken bones, serious cuts, bleeding wounds, increase blood flow, women’s complaints,
Energetics:  None found.
Harvest:   None found.
                        Storage: None found.
                        Preparation: Shredding of inner bark for sanitary napkin use.
                        Applications: Poultice; Decoction; Sanitary napkin.
Pharmacy: Decoction of branches taken by women for several months after childbirth to increase the blood flow.
Cautions:  None found.

 

Medicine:
                        Indigenous Group: Sanpoil:  The Sanpoil and Nespelem:  Salishan Peoples of Northeastern Washington (4:  online).
Part Used:  Roots
                        Medicinal Actions:  Antidiarrheal
                        Indications: Diarrhea.
Energetics:  None found.
Harvest:   None found.
                        Storage: None found.
                        Preparation: None found.
                        Applications: Decoction
Pharmacy: None found.
Cautions:  None found.        
           

Personal Experience:
Food:  None found.  
            Materials/Technology: Art projects; Spears; Decorative; I have also recently cut some willow to use for basket making.  
            Medicine:
Part Used:  Bark.
                        Desired Medicinal Actions: Anodyne.
                        Targeted Indications:  Pain, specifically headaches.
                        Harvest:
            Site Location:  South Whidbey Island (where I currently live).
            Site Description:  Five-acre property parcel is privately owned.  The soil has poor drainage and is very heavy clay with a layer of organic material, including peat, on top.  Light conditions are generally good however the Willow does lean away from the Alder trees and south towards the sunlight.  Plant species that are present in the immediate area are many Red Alders, Salmonberry, Red Twig Dogwood, Yellow Twig Dogwood, a few Western Red Cedars, False Lily of the Valley, Skunk Cabbage, and Unknown grasses.  The evidence of animal activity includes recent deer browse and antler rubbing, rabbit browse, coyote scat, an emergent bee on the willow, and various birds (Stellar’s Jay, Red-tail Hawk, Ravens, Flicker, Robins, etc.  The human activity that is evident in the area is minimal.  There are only signs of new tree plantings with protectors around the young trees to protect them from rabbits.  Reason for selection is that there is no human activity and no spray to contaminate the bark.  The plants in the area are also well established and healthy.     
                                    Technique:  Small sharp knife was used to scrape and chip away a small amount of bark from both a mature tree and a younger tree.  
                                    Processing:  The bark was dried in a dark, fairly cool area inside the house on a drying rack, and was covered with cheesecloth.
                                    Storage:  The bark is currently being stored in a glass jar in the pantry.  The pantry is cool and dark.
                                    Experience:  I really enjoyed being outside and connecting with the willow in its natural surroundings.  I felt a little guilty each time I put my knife to either tree – I found the bark was easier to peel off of the younger tree and I think that somehow made the process easier, perhaps because it was over more quickly.  Time seemed to stop for me while involved in this project, yet on the other hand I felt I did not have enough time to fully engage.  I thought a lot about my life and how compressed time seems to be, which is why it seems easier to just buy a bottle of aspirin…  
                             Procurement:  Not applicable.
                                    Source:  Not applicable.
                                    Condition:  Not applicable.
                                    Cost:  Not applicable.
Other Procurement:  None found.              
                        Application/Preparation/Pharmacy:
                                    Applications: Decoction.
                                    Preparation: I boiled approximately 1 tsp. of dried bark in 9 ounces of water for 15 minutes.  Next, I steeped the preparation for ½ hour. 
Pharmacy:   I drank one cup of each (mature bark and young bark). 
I have not experimented any further, but will experiment with first drinking more tea
2 – 3 cups, and then will increase the potency of the decoction to 2 tsp.
                                    Reason/Purpose:  The reason I wanted to study this plant and to experiment with it as a natural remedy was to alleviate chronic pain, especially headaches.
                                    Experience: The bark from both mature and young trees was somewhat bitter.  I found that neither provided relief for my migraine headaches.  I have not yet tried the bark for general pain, or tension headaches.
    
                                    Cautions based on experience:  None found.

Other Notes of Interest (7:  online):

Willows have a growth hormone that yields easy rooting of cuttings.  This natural rooting hormone can be used to prepare other plant cuttings for planting by soaking them in “willow water”, an extraction made from willow branches and water.

Willow Glossary (7:  online):
Barrel sorting - Cut willows are manually sorted into different lengths using a barrel sunk in the ground and a measuring stick
Bed - Field of planted willow of about 16,000 plants to an acre. A bed lasts between 30-50 years
Bind - Length of willow soaked and twisted to tie a bundle
Boiler - Tank of water for boiling willow for stripping
Bolt or bundle - The circumference of the bottom of a bundle or bolt, used to be a standard 3’1” (94cms)
Bond Willow - bind to tie bundle, often with a traditional rose knot
Brake V - shaped metal fork used to peel willow rods one at a time, usually by women and children
Brown Willow - Dried harvested willow sold with their bark on for sculpture and hurdles
Buff - Harvested willows boiled and stripped. The tannin in the bark stains the inner wood the traditional reddish ‘buff’ colour
Elephant - Local name for mite which attacks willows
Green - Willow which is alive and used for living willow structures and for river bank ‘spiling’
Hook - Curved bladed tool for cutting willows by hand
Rose - Traditional knot made from twisted bind of willow to tie bundles
Sett - Green willow cuttings about 8’ long pushed into soil by hand to propagate new plants
Spiling - Weaving ‘green’ willow into river banks for erosion control
Steamed willow - Unstripped willow steamed in the boilers. The steaming releases the natural tannin which stains the bark black
Stripping - Stripping the willow of its outer bark, in hand-brakes or machines
Wad - Bundle tied in half for boiling
Wand - Rod of willow cut from the stump
White willow - Harvested willow stripped naturally in the spring to reveal the white inner wood, traditionally used for cribs and bread and laundry baskets
Willow stripple - Shredded bark stripped off the willows, once spread as herbage on meadows, renowned for producing monster marrows
Withy - Somerset term for willow

Willow Talk - traditional willow sayings:
“Go to the basket” = go to prison
“To bring to the basket” = reduce to poverty
“To pin the basket” = conclude the matter
“To leave in the basket” = leave in the lurch
“To put in the basket” = be rejected
“The pick of the basket” = best of the lot
“ I have returned to my old trade of basket making” = to return to your old trade whatever it was, basket making be recognized a one of the most ancient

 

 
Cautions: Do not administer if one is sensitive to aspirin or prone to ulcers, other gastrointestinal disorders or tinnitus.  Do not give children willow bark if they display cold or flu symptoms.  Willow bark should not be taken in conjunction with aspirin.  *Overdoses of willow bark may cause skin rash, stomach inflammation/irritation, nausea, vomiting, kidney inflammation, and tinnitus (6:  online). 

Cited References:

1. USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service – Plants Database.  Online at:  http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=SASC&mode=Pr...

2. Holton, James – Chinook Jargon – The Hidden Language of the Pacific Northwest.  Wawa Press is an imprint of Adisoft, Inc., 1999, 2004.  Online at:  http://wwwladisoft-inc.com/chinookbook/.  Visited 2-05-06.

3. Wikipedia – The Free Enclyclopedia.  Online at:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willow.  Visited 3-05-06.

4. Moerman, Dan – UM Dearborn College - Native American Ethnobotany. Online at:  http://herb.umd.umich.edu/herb/search.pl Visited 2-08-06.

5. Plants for a Future – Edible, Medicinal & Useful Plants for a Healthier World.  Online at:  http://www.ibiblio.org.  Visited 2-08-06.

6. A.D.A.M., Inc. - Harvest House – The Natural Food Store (2004).  Online at:  http://www.harvesthouse.com/common/adam/DisplayMonograph.asp?storeID=SFBC5UH5EES92J2100AKHMCCQSCXB8HB&name=ConsHerbs_WillowBarkch.  Visited 3-05-06.

7. Somerset County Council.  Online at:  http://www.somerset.gov.uk/celebratingsomerset/willow/Pages/Facts.htm

Raven Jirikovic     -     Arts, Environment and the Child   -   Winter Quarter   -   2006

Narrative:

Salix scouleriana, also known commonly as Scouler’s Willowis a perennial, deciduous tree that is typically found growing in moist woods and clearings, along stream sides, and around lakeshore areas.  It is in the Willow family and the family name is Salicaceae.
 
The height of this willow tree can range anywhere from 25’- 50’ and the diameter grows 12” – 14”.  It is found primarily in the boreal forests of North America.  The leaves are alternate, grow 1 – 4 inches long, are oval in shape and green in color.  Many people are attracted to the male catkins in early spring, which are the small, furry flowers and refer to these as “pussy willows”, however though they are related, the Scouler Willow is not actually a Pussy Willow.

The Okanagan-Colville Indians of British Columbia and Washington traditionally used the inner bark, branches, sap, and powdered tree fungus of Scouler’s Willow for medicinal uses such as pain, broken bones, bleeding wounds and women’s complaints.  They also used found many other uses for this willow tree such as basket making, clothing, cordage, sewing material, containers, hunting & fishing items, toys & games, cleaning agent, walking sticks, tools, fasteners and ceremonial items.

Modern day use of the versatile willow is also widespread.  Shrubs and trees in the Willow family are currently noted as being used in agro-forestry, basket weaving, bio-energy, veneer, charcoal, ecological wastewater treatment systems, instrument making, landscaping, sculptures, paper, tool handles, toys, rope & string, growth hormone, bio-engineering, soil erosion control, windbreaks, sweat lodges, tannin, and wildlife habitats.  The salicylic acid found in the willow bark is where we also find the origins of aspirin.

Animals also find the Willow to be of great use.  Deer, rabbits, mice and beaver enjoy browsing on the delectable young trees; hummingbirds are attracted to feed on the insects that are attracted to the catkins, and also use the seed fuzz as part of their nest building material; male deer like to rub their antlers on the larger, more mature trees; and numerous other insects and birds use the trees to find food, shelter and nesting sites.

I personally find solace in Willows.  I grew up around these elegant and strong, yet flexible trees and they help me remember a time when my life moved at a much slower pace.  I see the Willows as one of nature’s great healers. 

Child Friendly Plant Study - Scouler's Willow:

 

A Story about Scouler (Sam) Willow

 

Hi! My name is Scouler (Sam) Willow.  I live in the Pacific Northwest in a really neat wetland.  I have lots of friends to hang out with where I live, and no matter what time of year it is there is always something new to check out. 

 

My best friends are Yolanda Yellow Twig Dogwood, Sal Salmonberry, Remmie Red Alder, Wangari Western Red Cedar and Rhonda Red Twig Dogwood (Yolanda’s cousin).  We hang out at the same place every day.  It’s cool, the ground is moist and we get a pretty good amount of sun.  We really like it when our leaves are out and the sun shines on them.  Sunlight is the best food ever, and boy do we feel super healthy when we eat good…we have so much energy!

 

I’m in the 5th grade this year and am only about 10’ tall.  I want to grow up to be like my dad - he is almost 50’ tall!  My mom says I might get as tall as my dad when I am grown up if I take good care of myself by eating right, bending with the winds, and keeping healthy friendships.  I think my mom is really smart (and pretty too).

 

My bark is kind of greenish-gray and will get darker as I grow.  Everyone that is older than me in my family has brownish-gray bark.  I like my bark the color it is now, but think I’ll look more mature when it turns darker.  Dad says I’m a fast grower.

 

It’s early spring right now and I have some catkins.  These are my flowers and they are brownish in color and kind of fuzzy.  My sister, Willomina has different flowers.  Her flowers are kind of a silver-white and are really soft, like kitty fur.  I get so excited in spring; it’s a time when I can actually see my shadow getting bigger each day. Soon, my leaves will come out and then I’ll be looking my best. 

 

My leaves are green and will show up on my long, brownish-red twigs.  They are “alternate” which means they are on opposite sides of each twig and one is higher than the other.

 

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you that I have a special Latin name.  I think it’s cool.  My Latin name is Salix scouleriana – you have to practice saying it a couple of times, but you’ll feel smarter each time (trust me).

 

My family goes way back.  We are the Willow family and we are proud of our heritage.  We have made many contributions to the world and our communities since we have been on planet Earth.  For example, we can help humans feel better... 

 

Our bark has an ingredient in it called salicylic acid (you’re getting smarter aren’t you?) and this is where aspirin originally came from.  Some people still use my bark like they did long ago. They carefully peel a little bit, clean and dry it in a dark, cool place and then boil it to make a tea.  My friend Raven (a human) always thanks me when she peels my bark and is careful only to take a little on one side.  I don’t mind, it kind of tickles like when Bennie Buck Deer rubs his antlers on my bark, or when Ronny Rabbit nibbles at my new shoots.

 

Wow, there is so much more to share with you, but I really need to go now.  You see, I have company.  Stella Stellar Jay has just stopped by to ask about building a nest in my hair…err, branches.  Of course I’ll say yes!