White or silver willow in Russia is often called vetla. It is distributed throughout the European part, the territory of Western Siberia, in Kazakhstan. It is found everywhere along the banks of rivers, lakes, ponds, along roads, ravines and gullies. It prefers lowland marshy places, but can grow on plains and hills.
Botanical Description
Sails, depending on natural conditions, can be powerful trees up to 30 m tall or wide sprawling bushes. Adult trunks are covered with rough dark gray bark with many longitudinal cracks. Old trees can reach a girth of 2.5 m. On young trunks and branches, the bark is smooth, olive-green, light, easily peeled off. The shoots are long, very flexible, with reddish-brown fluffy tops. Willow branching begins low, forming round, tent-like crowns, the ends of the lower shoots descend to the ground.
The kidneys are narrow, pointed, about 5 mm in size, yellowish-brown. The flowers are in the form of thick hanging earrings 4-5 cm long, with hairy yellowish bracts. Appear on branches at the same time as buds open - in late April or in early May. A month after flowering, small seed bunches ripen in place of the earrings, which are then opened by the wind.
Narrow lanceolate leaves, with pointed tips, 7–15 cm long, 1.5–3 cm wide. Located alternately on short petioles. The upper side is dark green, smooth, with central and lateral feathery veins. The back is silver-gray, almost white. At the base of the plates there is a slight pubescence. The leaves of the vetel fade late, in the fall it takes on a beautiful yellowish-bronze hue.
White willow develops on any soil, including sparse sandstones. He loves moist silty soils, but also feels good on dry ground with sufficient rainfall or shallow groundwater. The root system of the plant has many long lateral branches, in search of moisture going deep up to three meters. In trees located in humid areas, in warm weather, droplets of water often appear on the leaves. So willows regulate water exchange, getting rid of excess moisture.
Vetles live up to 100 years, grow very quickly, annually stretching for 80-100 cm.
Farm application
Since ancient times, winds, growing in abundance along rivers and ravines, have been used for various household needs. Thin flexible rods were used to make baskets, baskets, wicker fences. From strong bast fibers, bast shoes and ropes were woven, a rough burlap was made. Livestock was fed with young shoots and foliage.
Willow twigs are well suited for various types of needlework: making wicker decorative dishes, hats, armchairs, and objects of artistic design.
Willow wood is a soft, easily bending material with a narrow white sapwood and a light pink core. It was used as raw material for hollowing out decks, barrels, troughs, and kitchen utensils. Shuttles, children's toys, various small crafts were cut out of it, bent arcs.
Bark containing tanning and natural pigment substances was used in the textile and leather industry as a dye.
At present, white willows are valuable for their decorative qualities, rapid growth, wind resistance and the ability to strengthen crumbling soil. They green the shores of reservoirs, parks, squares, planted along road paintings. Hedgeholes made of vetels or solitary landings near a home pond create a fabulous pacific landscape.
Medical use
White willow bark is the first source of salicylic acid, which became known to mankind as the basis for the manufacture of aspirin. This compound has powerful antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties and is used in the treatment of malaria.
In addition to salicylate, the bark of the wind contains other useful substances:
- ascorbic acid;
- lignins;
- anthocyanins;
- tannins;
- catechins;
- flavonoids.
Willow bark powder preparations have antipyretic, diaphoretic, astringent, analgesic effect, stop bleeding, relieve signs of fever, headache and rheumatic pain, disinfect mucous membranes. They are used for:
- inflammatory and erosive diseases of the digestive tract: gastritis, colitis, duodenitis, pancreatitis, cholecystitis, dyspepsia;
- gynecological pathologies;
- diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract;
- internal bleeding;
- hemorrhagic syndrome;
- neuralgic, joint pain, migraine;
- pleurisy, tuberculosis, pneumonia.
Tea made from bark powder helps strengthen immunity.
With dermatological, dental diseases, tonsillitis, allergies, excessive sweating, decoctions of the bark are used for rinsing, washing, lotions or compresses.
With varicose veins of the lower extremities, arthritis, gout, warm baths from willow bark relieve symptoms well.
You can harvest raw materials yourself. For therapeutic purposes, the bark taken from the shoots of 2-7 years of age is suitable. After removal, it is dried, crushed and stored in paper bags or linen bags. The plant retains pharmacological properties for 3-4 years.
Landing and care
The wind can safely be planted in swampy clay areas. Powerful roots help her calmly survive regular flooding, and excess moisture does no harm. On the contrary, the tree will be uncomfortable where water is constantly lacking.
For planting, it is recommended to choose areas that are well-lit by the sun; the winds do not like deep shade.
Work is carried out with the onset of heat or in September. Wells in the soil are prepared in advance. In order to ensure safe growth for trees in the early years, it is advisable to enrich the soil with humus, peat, and add complex fertilizer with a high nitrogen content to it. In group plantings between trees leave a distance of at least 3 m, so that the growing willows have enough space.
During planting, the soil around the roots is carefully compacted, stakes are driven in near the seedlings, to which the shoots are tied. After the work is completed, young trees are abundantly watered: 20 liters per instance.
If the branches are planted far from the reservoir, it is necessary to water them in the first years of life regularly: at least 1 time per week. In this case, one tree needs 2-3 buckets of water. In hot, dry weather, you will still need to spray the foliage.
In order to prevent moisture from evaporating, circles on the trunks can be mulched with a thick layer of peat. Such care will avoid the need for loosening the soil and drown out the growth of weeds.
Haircuts can be carried out a year after planting. Vetels tolerate severe frosts well, their shoots rarely freeze, therefore trees require not so much sanitary as forming pruning. Crones can be given any desired shape, although without it the long silvery shoots of the tree look very picturesque.
If the sail grows poorly, nitroammophoska can be applied to the soil 1 time per month, and twice a month it should be watered with mullein solution under the root.
Shelters for the winter should be saplings of the first three years of life. It is advisable not to do this for the entire cold period, but only in severe frosts in the absence of snow cover. Crowns are wrapped in a thin burlap. A layer of mulch 10–12 cm thick is poured under the roots in late autumn.
Diseases and Pests
The main enemies of silver willow: leafworms, aphids and flower flies. Insects eat leaflets and young shoots of trees. Clutches of larvae and adult caterpillars from branches must be collected manually, regularly inspecting the crowns. Other pests will have to be controlled with the help of insecticides: Karbofos, Akarin, Decis, Actellik. They should be sprayed with trees weekly, in dry weather, late in the evening or before sunrise.
Strange white or brown spots, embossed thickenings on the leaves may be signs of powdery mildew, rust, and scab. It is recommended to cut and destroy diseased branches of the plant, and treat healthy parts of the crown for prophylaxis with fungicides: Topaz, Fundazol, Fundazim.
As additional protection measures, you can spray the greens of trees with soapy water, garlic infusion, and sprinkle with tobacco dust.
National signs associated with vetle
There are many beliefs, superstitions and signs associated with this tree. Many of them contradict each other.
Among the Slavs, willow in the pre-Christian era was considered a symbol of constancy and the sun god - Yarila. The Greeks associated with the tree the will to live. In Japan, it symbolized the power of perseverance and patience. Blooming one of the first, this plant was used in many religious rituals.
It was considered a good omen to keep a broom from willow rods in Russia at the doorstep - the plant protected household members from the evil eye and helped remove evil spirits from the premises. However, they did not advise planting a tree near the porch and generally close to the house - it could attract a misfortune: the death or serious illness of one of the relatives.
To protect against ill-wishers and envious people, it was considered useful to plant veterans near the gate, far from the walls. The tree neutralized all evil thoughts, slander and corruption, the negative consequences returned to the offender himself.
It was recommended to stand near the willow in the event of severe sadness, anger, anxiety or longing - she took away all the bad things that surrounded the person. But still they did not advise to linger for a long time - removing the negative, the tree began to draw vitality from it.
Healers and healers recommend that you always have at home several branches of the vetles and place them in different secluded corners. They perfectly reflect damage, help restore peace of mind, reduce aggression, help reconcile with inevitable losses, and console.