Goat willow
Useful properties and uses of goat willow
Botanical characteristics of goat willow
The goat willow belongs to the willow family, it can be called a shrub or tree. In young plants, the trunk bark is greenish-gray; as it matures, it acquires a brown surface with cracks. Pubescence and large buds are observed in young shoots. The plant has leaves of different shapes and sizes. They are ovoid, rounded, elliptical. In any part of the branches, you can see oblong-lanceolate, wavy, jagged leaves.
The leaves differ in their surface: they can be dense, wrinkled, bare on top, dark green, with a gray felt bottom plate. The goat willow blooms earlier than leaves appear on it, with yellowish-gray flowers, collected in drooping inflorescences - brushes, like earrings. The box-fruit contains wavy gray seeds. For growing, the goat willow chooses streams, clearings in the forests, loves the neighborhood of various shrubs. The parts of the plant used for treatment - bark, leaves, flowers - are collected at different times.
Useful properties of goat willow
Goat willow bark contains a large amount of tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids, phenologlycosides. These substances are also present in the leaves, but in a smaller composition. Flowers and leaves contain vitamins, saponins, organic acids, lipids. The presence of nitrogen-containing compounds, proanthocyanidins, catechins and essential oil was recorded.
The hydrolyzate of the acid that the willow is endowed with consists of lauric, myristic, pentadecanoic, margaric, arachinic, heneicosanoic acids. Broths and infusions from goat willow have a hemostatic, astringent, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic effect. The plant is valued for its wound healing and tonic properties.
Application of goat willow
A decoction of willow bark is used for rheumatism, whooping cough, and fever. Medicinal drugs successfully treat headache and neuralgia, are recommended for gout, various bleeding, gastrointestinal diseases, malaria. The goat willow acts as an anthelmintic agent. The plant is used externally for gargling. Lotions with decoctions relieve skin inflammation with dermatitis. Raw materials in powder form helps from ulcers, wounds, boils, is used as a powder.
Also, goat willow is an effective remedy for excessive sweating. In this case, you can do local baths for the armpits and take the broth inside, as a result, the work of the sweat glands is normalized.
In Asia, willow in the form of decoctions and infusions is used to lower the temperature for colds infectious diseases. The sedative effect of plant substances affects the quality treatment of the cardiovascular system, tachycardia. The diuretic properties of willow relieve edema of various origins, decoctions are recommended for hypertension and kidney disease.
Goat willow bark
In many countries, goat willow replaces quinine and aspirin, which was obtained from this medicinal plant. Bark is brewed as a tea for sweating during flu and acute acute respiratory infections. It has a universal tonic effect. For people with a number of diseases, goat's willow bark becomes a natural medicine that promotes rapid recovery. It is recommended to take products from willow bark as a preventive measure. The raw materials contain useful substances to keep weight on the achieved results in the treatment of obesity.
Healing tea can be drunk for three to four weeks, the course should be carried out once every six months. A decoction of goat willow bark is used to treat gastrointestinal and peptic ulcer diseases, neuropsychiatric disorders, varicose veins, thrombophlebitis. Gargling with broth or infusion heals bleeding gums. taking drugs inside removes inflammatory processes in the liver, cures tuberculosis. The bark helps well in weakening visual acuity and hearing.
A decoction of willow bark: crushed 20 g of bark, pour 200 ml of boiling water, cook in a water bath for 30 minutes, cool for 10-15 minutes, filter. You need to drink the medicine 2 tablespoons 3-4 times a day.
A decoction of willow inflorescences: 10 g of willow inflorescences are poured with 200 ml of boiling water, put in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes, cooled for 45 minutes, filtered. Take 2 tablespoons daily 3-4 times a day until recovery.
Planting goat willow
The goat willow is an ornamental shrub, its weeping shoots at the top of the trunk form a tent. The plant is light and moisture-loving; a place well-lit by the sun is required to plant it. Goat willow propagates by grafting. The tree requires special pruning, especially in the first years after planting. A plant cannot develop normally without proper care. Pruning should be done after flowering (in June).
In order for the crown to form correctly, it is necessary to cut off young shoots, leaving the buds directed upward and to the side, then the crown will grow in the form of an umbrella. Willow reproduces well by seeds, cuttings practically do not take root.
Goat willow "Pendula"
A wonderful variety of goat willow "Pendula" has a weeping crown with falling branches, during the flowering period, numerous incredibly beautiful decorative golden-yellow earrings are formed, which appear long before the leaves bloom. The plant has tough brownish-red shoots that grow slowly upward and grow rapidly in length. Elliptical matte green leaves are covered with pubescence from the inside. Willow "Pendula" is resistant to frost.
This variety grows well on any soils, it is picky only on irrigation conditions. Willow is an excellent honey plant, its fluffy flowers are extremely attractive to insects with a large amount of nectar.
Goat willow weeping
Weeping goat willow in nature grows on the banks of ponds, near streams, chooses low-lying rivers for habitation, prefers moist soils. Goats love the plant, inconspicuous at first glance. On the plots, a standard male form of the plant is planted, which reaches a height of 1.8-2.5 (sometimes 3) m. Crohn with weeping branches hanging down to the ground, the bark is greenish-gray, smooth, covered with cracks at the base, the shoots are greenish in color.
Weeping willow has oblong elliptical leaves. In April, but not every year, fragrant, golden-yellow earring inflorescences appear. The plant develops very quickly and is frost-resistant.
Goat willow "Kilmarnock"
A magnificent decorative tree will become a real decoration of any garden, its small weeping crown, shoots hanging to the ground and charming flowers-earrings will make any landscape expressive. The crown of an adult shrub is 1.5 m in diameter. The plant blooms for up to two weeks, loves open sunny areas, but also tolerates slight darkening. Willow nectar gives bee honey an excellent bitter taste. honey has a healing effect on various colds, it can be used by patients with diabetes mellitus.
Goat willow spherical
Spherical goat willow is a low dwarf form, the special piquancy of which lies in a spherical crown with unusually graceful shoots directed downward.
Leaves are lanceolate, leathery. The underside of the leaves is grayish-white-tomentose, the upper side is dark green, leathery. The blooming period of the spherical willow begins long before the leaves appear and lasts 20 days. Fluffy yellow earrings attract people's attention and attract insects with nectar. Willow of this species grows quickly, tolerates frost and drought well. An ornamental plant adorns alleys and lawns.
Contraindications to the use of goat willow
The use of goat willow is contraindicated for gastritis with high acidity, uncontrolled use of decoctions can provoke constipation. Do not use goat willow if low blood clotting is diagnosed and in case of individual intolerance.
The author of the article: Sokolova Nina Vladimirovna | Phytotherapist
Education: Diploma in "General Medicine" and "Therapy" received at the Pirogov University (2005 and 2006). Advanced training at the Department of Phytotherapy at the Peoples' Friendship University of Moscow (2008).
