Real Red Willow-not Dog-wood, Also the Source of Aspirin

While "Diamond" and Bull" willows may be and often are, referred to as"Pussy willow"; the image shown below, unlike  Bear-berry, Dogwood, Dog-berry (Kinnikinick/Red Osier); actually is a willow; and, the young shoots are usually red.  This is the plant that is known to most  Western Canadians as RED WILLOW

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PussyWillowBoston.jpg

Red Willow

Family Salicaceae (willow)

Salix laevigata

The true Red Willow is a medium-sized deciduous, native to Canada, which always grows near water (not necessarily visible water),often so thickly, in western regions-covering acres of land- that it is unable to grow to any more than shrub size and will almost look like tall red grass, turning the entire area to a lake of red. The bark of mature trees is dark and rough; young twigs may be red to yellow-brown. The long narrow leaves are green and shiny above, whitish below, and usually widest below the middle. Male and female flowers are borne on separate plants and appear soon after the leaves in early spring. The tiny seed produced by the female catkin (pussy willow) has a cottony “fluff” and may be carried a great distance by the wind. Because all willows root grow quickly, they have potential for holding soil on steep slopes (preventing erosion). Like reeds, flexible willow shoots were often used—world wide—to make baskets, boats, hats, and huts. It is the bark of Red Willow, NOT Bear-berry, Dog-berry, "Kinnikinick"(means smoking mix), mealberry, or Red Osier/DOGWOOD that contains salicin(from the family name Salicaceae-Salix laevigata), which our bodies  convert to salicylic acid the active pain relieving agent in aspirin.

Salicylic Acid (Aspirin) was not first discovered by any FIRST NATIONS PEOPLE, unless you want to include Neanderthal and possibly Cro-Magnon Man as First NATIONS.

The, so called, “father of modern medicine”, Hippocrates, who lived sometime between 460 B.C and 377 B.C. left historical records of pain relief treatments, including the use of powder made from the bark and leaves of the willow tree to help heal headaches, pains and fevers.

The young shoots are rich in Vitamin C and can be cooked as greens, but they are decidedly sour- AGAIN, it is from the bark and first leaves of THIS the real RED WILLOW that we get aspirin.

           

©Al  (Alex Alexander) D Girvan 2012. 

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