THE HERBALIST'S NOTEBOOK

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Natural Health

A seasonal guide to medicinal herbs

The following suggestions provide enough basic information for you to use the herbs listed here in various ways. Do not feel limited by them — the nature of herbalism is experimentation. Within the firm margins of safety, let yourself be guided by the plants and by your own instinct. Remember that herbs are potent medicines and that their use requires you to be respectful of your body and of the plants. Above all, know that wellness is one of your natural birthrites, and that healing comes from within. The plants are simply herbs, ready to guide you toward internal balance.

Willow

Last year I took willow for the first time. A fierce and unusual headache struck one day, and there was no aspirin in the house. I did, however, have ajar full of willow bark given to me by a friend. I simmered a small handful of the strips in boiling water for a few minutes. The tea tasted bitter, but I drank it anyway, a few swallows at a time. Half an hour later, singing through my household chores, I remembered my headache. The willow seemed to have worked wonders; I think it even improved my mood. Since then, I reach for willow whenever pain strikes.

Another time, black flies discovered me in the garden in the first sun after a string of wet and cloudy days. Remembering that willow is anti-inflammatory (and good for pain, too), I rubbed some freshly made tincture on the itchy, burning place. It stung for a moment and then stopped. Later, I realized I had forgotten about the bite, and when I checked it, there was no redness or swelling, and the itching was gone.

Description: A number of willow species occur in New England, and all can be used for the same purposes. Salix nigra is the traditional species for herbal use, but generally all the willows have similar compounds.

Willows may be found as shrubs or small trees, rarely exceeding 80 feet in height. The plant may have a single, central trunk that branches off; most often, it will have several trunks that sprout from the base. Willows are found mostly in moist areas and are common along waterways. Most of the willows have a distinct odor that can be noticed upon crushing the leaves or bark.

Willow leaves in general are long and lance-shaped, with a pointed tip and catkins that erupt from a scale along the branch. Seeds of the various species are generally attached to silky hairs that aid in dispersing them on the wind.

The bark of the willows ranges from gray to brown, and is aromatic and bitter-tasting. In small plants, the bark is smooth, but may become rough and furrowed in older or larger trees. Refer to plant guides for more detailed descriptions of the various species.

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