The osier willow prefers a climate with moderate temperatures and moderate to high levels of rainfall. It thrives in areas with a temperate climate and can tolerate a wide range of altitudes.
Basket willow
Salix viminalis, commonly known as osier willow or basket willow, is a versatile plant grown in Europe for its use in basket and willow weaving. It produces different colored and textured rods that are harvested annually. With a long-standing tradition in the trade, osier willow continues to be an important resource for creating baskets, furniture, and other woven products.
Salix viminalis
United Kingdom
Uses and Benefits: - The osier willow is commonly used in Europe for basket weaving and willow weaving. - Cultivars have been developed to produce rods of different colors and textures. - Osier stool beds are raised from cuttings and harvested annually as rods, which are used for making baskets, furniture, and fish traps. - The art of converting these rods into various products is a highly skilled trade that has been practiced for many centuries. - The osier willow has great potential for use in countries like Australia, which rely on imports for commercial cane. Additional Information: - Salix viminalis is a species of willow native to Europe. - It is known by various common names such as osier willow and basket willow. - The tree is typically grown and harvested specifically for its utility in the basket and willow weaving trade. - The osier willow has been a significant resource for centuries and continues to be utilized today.
Loamy or sandy soil with good drainage.
In Europe, the osier willow is specifically grown and specially harvested for the basket and willow weaving trade. Cultivars have been developed to produce different coloured and textured 'rods'. "Osier stool beds are raised from cuttings and harvested annually as rods, most of these are peeled but some are used with the bark on. The conversion of these rods into baskets, furniture and fish traps is a highly skilled trade many hundreds of years old, and happily by no means dead yet." (Ref. Edlin H., Nimmo L. et al. "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Trees - Timber and Forests of the World". Leisure Books 1978). There is considerable potential for this tree in a country like Australia which imports all of its commercial cane.