White Willow Bark | Bai Liu Shu Pi

All willow tree species behave like aspirin and are mainly used to reduce fevers and relieve pain. The bark is excellent for treating chronic inflammation, infection, and pain. In 1763, Reverend Edward Snow (1702-68) discovered salicin in willow bark. It is the active ingredient now used in asprin. Salix alba,‘Caerulea’ is a specially grown species of willow found in Britain that is used to make bats for playing the game of cricket. Remember, willow tree (Salix alba) is not willowherb (Epilobium augustifolium). Willow bark has been used for thousands of years as an effective treatment for aches, inflammation, fevers and pain.

There are around 400 species in the Salix genus. Common Willow species are: White Willow (Salix Alba), Black Willow/Pussy Willow (S. Nigra), Crack Willow (S. fragilis), Purple Willow (S. purpurea) and Weeping Willow (S. babylonica). All have a watery bark sap, slender branches and large fibrous roots, which are remarkable for their toughness, size and tenacity to life. Leaves are typically elongated, but may also be round to oval, frequently with serrated edges. Most species are deciduous. Male and female flowers appear as catkins, often appearing in early spring before the new leaves appear or open.

Willows are native to China, with the tree now planted across the Northern Hemisphere. They are usually found in temperate areas where they thrive in very moist soils, usually near a body of water. Though there are arctic and alpine species as well.