The versatile Willow Tree or Shrub has many uses.  Let's begin with "Nature's Aspirin".  People have used the bark and the leaves of the willow for medicinal purpose for centuries.  The medicinal part of the plant is the inner bark and was used as a pain reliever for a variety of ailments.  An infusion of the bark was used for fever, rheumatic pains, insomnia, dysentery, and sore throats.  A poultice made from the bark was used to heal wounds.  Researchers have now found that the active ingredient in the willow is the same as that in aspirin (salicylic acid).

CRAFTS:  Wicker-work is probably what willow is most famous for.  Willow plants cropped annually produce an abundant source of long flexible rods ideally suited to basketry and other woven craftwork such as plant climbers.  Then of course there's Willow furniture and a creative and new development in the use of willows is in constructing Living Willow Structures: 

Live, usually one year old, willow rods are put into the ground and woven together to make domes, tunnels, arbours, arches, screens, mazes, and many other shapes.  these will then root and shoot making a living, growing structure that can be further woven as it grows.  As in basketry, almost any type of willow could be used, but the fast growing varieties producing long straight rods are favored.

GARDEN HEDGES:  Willows make excellent garden hedges even in the smallest of gardens.  They are easy and quick to establish from cuttings.  Attractive leaves, colorful stems, and early flowering ensure a varied appearance which changes with the seasons.  They will respond well to trimming and can be kept at a required height and thickness. They can even be cut to provide a crop of rods for craft use in the home or school.  A willow hedge would also be an excellent addition to a wildlife garden providing valuable habitat for beneficial birds and insects.

SHELTER:  Windbreaks and Shelterbelts.  Because of the tough, fast growing qualities of willow, they make excellent windbreaks even in the most extreme enviroments.  They are tolerant of high altitude, exposure, coastal areas, and will even grow in poor soil.  They will typically grow 2-3 feet in the first year and can grow up to 5 feet by year three, producing a bushy screen that can reduce wind speeds by as much as 60%, even in winter.

ORNAMENTAL WILLOWS:  It can be said that all trees have some aesthetic value.  willows, however, display a range of qualities, which make them suitable for ornamental purposes.  Abundant catkins in the spring, attractive leaves during the summer, and brightly colored stems cheer up the winter landscape.

BEE FODDER:  Willow catkins produce nectar and pollen for bees early in the year when little else is available.  Indeed they are often used in orchards to attract pollinating insects as well as providing shelter.

BIO-ENGINEERING USES:  Soil stabilisation.  Willows provide a dense fibrous matt of roots, thus binding the soil.  The numerous shoots will inhibit run-off and cause organaic matter to build up around stem bases. 

WASTE MANAGEMENT:  There is now a definite trend towards finding biological solutions to environmental problems.  In the field of waste management this has led to the development of biological filtration systems.  Mini wetland ecosystems are constructed mainly using Willows and reeds, which break down and purify a variety of effluents such as farm slurry, human sewage and industrial wastes.  Fast growing varieties are usually preferred as they have a greater  capacity of absorb and process the effluent being treated.