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Salix viminalis
Also called Common osier, Basket Willow, Hemp Willow, Common Osier Willow, Silky Osier
Salix viminalis, the basket willow, common osier or osier, is a species of willow native to Europe, Western Asia, and the Himalayas.
Along with other related willows, the flexible twigs (called withies) are commonly used in basketry, giving rise to its alternative common name of "basket willow". In his History of the Peloponnesian War, the ancient historian Thucydides describes using osier in 425 BCE to construct makeshift shields. Cultivation and use of the common osier was common in England in the 18th and 19th century, with osier beds lining many rivers and streams.
Other uses occur in energy forestry, effluent treatment, wastewater gardens, and cadmium phytoremediation for water purification.
It is commonly found by streams and other wet places. The exact native range is uncertain due to extensive historical cultivation; it is certainly native from central Europe east to western Asia, but may also be native as far west as southeastern England. As a cultivated or naturalised plant, it is widespread throughout both Britain and Ireland, but only at lower altitudes. It is one of the least variable willows, but it will hybridise with several other species.
Salix abscondita · Common Middle East Willow · Siberian Violet Willow · Salix aegyptiaca · Salix aeruginosa · Salix alatavica · Feltleaf willow · White willow · Salix alexii-skvortzovii · Salix alpina · Peachleaf willow · Salix annulifera
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Salix viminalis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
