Medicinal and food

Activity 3        Soothe your sore throat

Willow bark has been used for thousands of years for its excellent medicinal and pain relieving qualities. It contains the chemical compound salicin, a chemical related to acetylsalicylic acid, which in its synthetic form is known as aspirin. The recipe in this activity can be used as a natural remedy against colds and sore throats.

Activity 17      Kick off Your Party with Willow Schnapps

The sweetest tasting parts of willows are the catkins or pussy willows and these are used in Denmark to male a deep brown schnapps drink. This tends to have a nutty taste and hints of honey, camphor, and cardamom and can be drunk on its own or served with curries, duck, chicken, fish, sausages, cheese, and heavy meat dishes. After a good meal it is an interesting alternative to port or brandy. Here’s the recipe.

Activity 42      Clean your teeth

Throughout history the most common way of cleaning ones teeth involved the use of a chew stick, a toothbrush with natural bristles derived by chewing the fibres of the wood. Even today six out of ten people in India use twig toothbrushes and only two out of ten in the population use toothpaste. This activity shows you how to make a willow toothbrush and toothpaste!

Activity 50      Use willow as a fodder for livestock

Although, the palatability of willows to mammals is in most cases a nuisance it can be turned to a farmer’s advantage. In several countries willow is used as a fodder for livestock particularly during drought periods. The presence of chemicals such as tannins and salicylic acid can also bring added benefits by improving the health of sheep and cows. This activity describes various methods that could be employed by an organic farmer or small holder.

Activity 74      Enjoy a salad with 10 times as much vitamin C as an orange

Certain willows provide a highly nutritional food source for native people living in Alaska and North East Russia. The shoots and leaves of these willows are very rich in vitamins A and C. This activity explains how they are eaten and preserved in seal oil.

Activity 76      Treat your dandruff

The anti inflammatory properties of white willow bark can be used in natural hair lotions to help reduce the sensitivity of the scalp and restore a healthy head of hair. This activity provides details on how to make your very own anti dandruff shampoo.

Activity 90      Splash on some willow aftershave

The astringent qualities of white willow bark make it a very useful ingredient in many natural cosmetics such as lotions, creams, deodorants and aftershave washes. Here are some recipes for an aftershave, a deodorant and a hydrating face lotion to treat acne.

Activity 95      Make a natural pest control solution

Certain species of willow are more resistant to insect attacks than others because they contain high concentrations of phenolic glucosides. The Chinese have traditionally used an extract from S. babylonica as a natural fungicide and insecticide against various pests and fungal diseases. Spraying your plants with the willow pesticide or aspirin solution described in this activity therefore enables a very effective and low input way of warding off unwanted attackers.