Natural Remedies: The Versatile Willow Tree

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ILLUSTRATION: DARREN THOMPSON
The Willow: A plant that has a dozen uses . . . on an off day.

The Natural Remedies column shares information on how to create your own household remedies. 

Natural Remedies for Health

Every now and then during one of my walks, someone will tell me that they have a headache. I peel off two slivers of bark from a willow tree, that ubiquitous plant of the streams, and hand it to them.

“Take two pieces of bark and call me in the morning,” I’ll tell them. Most people laugh when I say this, but considering that inner bark of willow contains salicin and is the original aspirin, I think my prescription is right on the money. When steeped in water, the bark makes willow tea which is good for headaches, fevers, and even hay fever. Because of its strong antiseptic properties, the tea can also be used as a good mouthwash, or applied externally on wounds. A willow wash is said to work wonders on rheumatism sufferers. The bark of the younger shoots is strongest, and it is fairly easy to harvest.

Willow plants are unpredictably diverse in appearance. Some are small and bushy, while others grow into towering trees. Their leaves are nearly all thin and lance-shaped, and the plant is always found along streams. I have seen them at sea level and higher than 8,000 feet.

  • Published on Oct 1, 1996
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