Willow branch chairs

I was going to do a thread on Willow wood... you do know the inner bark and leaves of many willows contains the medicinal extract, salicin, or salicylic acid (salix is Latin for willow). This chemical is the active ingredient in common aspirin. (acetylsalicylic acid). Native Americans chewed or boiled a tea from the willow's leaves or inner bark to relieve fever or other minor pain like toothaches, headaches, or arthritis. The willow is often given the nickname "toothache tree". and I was going to talk about how willow sucks at making fires... to smoky... but the thinks you can craft from it's branches are endless... baskets... garden supports...fences to keep livestock penned in... grows easily from cutting so you never run out... but for this thread here is a how to make a chair...

Here is a how to Make a Willow branch Chair

reply to post by GrandpaDave


Coincidentally I was watching a Ray Mears series this morning - Four Seasons (its great if you live in UK) - and he touched on the uses of Willow but didnt elaborate as to its many uses.

Thanks Grandad for posting this info

I think it is wonderful that you are posting all this information for us. I have saved every single thread you have authored on survival, and I know this will come in handy in the coming times. I have 3 children who are all survivalists and they love it when you put all this out there. Thank you for all your information on survival. It's people like you, helping others, that we need more of in the environment we live in. Thank you again.

reply to post by GrandpaDave


Willow is great stuff.That chair plan is cool,but have you ever seen a living willow chair-you make it from three "u"shaped willow branches which take root.
Of course you can't move it,but makes a great garden seat IMO.




www.willowkits.co.uk...

I did a quick search for willow cause i didnt know what one looks like if i ever was in the wild. anyway i came across many different varieties for willow do they all have medicinal qualities?

Originally posted by InshaAllah
I did a quick search for willow cause i didnt know what one looks like if i ever was in the wild. anyway i came across many different varieties for willow do they all have medicinal qualities?

yes but some work better than others...
White and black Willow are the most common for medicinal use

Dosage and Medicinal Value
The medicinal Willows have been known to reduce inflamation, to treat articular rheumatism, help with internal bleeding, and it is also good for heartburn and stomach problems. They help with headaches, minor aches and pains, as well as arthritis. The Black Willow has all of the same healing properties of its relative, the White, but it has been know to do some others as well. This type of willow can also be used as an anaphrodisiac, meaning, it subdues sexual urges. Take note, Hillary The medicinal part of the Willow tree are the bark and buds. There are a few different ways to prepare it. First, it is best to collect the bark in Springtime. One preparation option would be to boil the bark for at least 20 minutes, then either take internally or as a poultice. A decoction can be made by soaking up to three teaspoons of bark in one cup of cold water for up to five hours, and then boil down to a potent formula. To intake this you should take one cup unsweetend, no more than one a day. A decoction of Willow can be used to help with mouth problems, ie. you can gargle with it to help with inflamations of the gums and tonsils. A decoction can also be used externally for sores, burns, and cuts. To make a cold extract, soak one teaspoon of bark in one cup of cold water for up to ten hours and strain. You can make a powder by taking one to one and one-half teaspoons, three times a day. If taking a tincture, use ten to twenty drops as needed daily. Everything I've read about intaking a hot Willow drink says that it is important that it is taken in large gulps, not small sips.

Link to source

Edit to add... collect fresh Willow Bark every year... it doesn't keep... also follow the same rules as you would for aspirin... basically this is what aspirin was made from

reply to post by GrandpaDave



Aye,she's a miracle tree the willow,and has a place in my heart almost as big as the place for my favorite tree the mighty Yew.
Being of Celtic ancestry,I should post this link about the willow in days long gone by:

According to the Celtic Lunar Zodiac, written by Helena Paterson, those of us born under the sun signs of Aries/Taurus—from April 15th to May 12th –were also born under the Celtic Lunar Sign of The Willow Tree or Saille.

The European Willow, found in central and southern Europe, is known as the White Willow, because of its grayish bark, while the American variety is called the Black Willow because of its black-colored bark. However the bark of both varieties of Willow contain similar constituents known to herbalists. It is thought that the Druids used Willow bark to cure worms and dysentery. Willow bark, along with the Primrose, was also used as an analgesic or primitive painkiller, especially for the arthritic diseases so prevalent in the damp climate of Britain and Ireland.
The Willow tree was sacred to the triple goddess in Celtic Myth, and associated with the "Old Veiled One," the Cailleach ("old woman" in Gaelic). As such, the Cailleach would be associated with the Crone aspect of the triple goddess, who was identified with the spirit of Wisdom.
The words, "Witchcraft," and "Wicca," are derived from the word, "Willow" and are associated with an ancient cult which used the natural cycle of creation associated with the goddess.
The Willow tree has always been known as a tree of enchantment. At the Temple of Delphi in Greece, Orpheus was depicted as receiving the mystic gift of eloquence by touching a willow in the sacred grove of Persephone. The Celts also associated it with poets, and young suitors would commonly wear a sprig of willow to acknowledge the power and status of the old "wise one," the Crone.
The Willow was also host to the sacred mistletoe, which is more commonly found growing on the Willow and the Poplar Tree than on the Oak.

www.mysticalmind.com...

A side note the ancient name for willow is "Saille" which may have language links to the medicinal substance salicylic acid contained therein.
These trees which had so much significance to our ancestors are playing a bigger part in my life the older I get.
Its almost as though they hold ancient knowledge within them,waiting to be unlocked by those of us wanting to learn.
Sorry for the rambling,hope it's relevant to the thread.