Willow Bark for headaches, fever, pain, and inflammation
Willow provides relieve from pain, fever, and inflammation, without the stomach upset that chemical aspirin causes. It is plentiful and easy to collect in the spring.
Spring is the season to harvest willow bark for herbal medicine. Willow (Salix ssp.) contains salicin – the compound found in aspirin, as well as tannins. Willow bark tincture and willow bark tea (decoction) are the best ways to benefit from willow.
Most commonly, Salix alba, varieties are used for medicinal purposes, as well as Salix nigra. Both are fast growing willows. Many Salix alba (white willow) varieties, such as Vitellini (golden willow), are also colourful basket willows and can be coppiced to provide basket weaving material, as well as herbal medicine. Salix nigra is a native North American willow, found in humid areas.
Medicinal effects of willow: 
- Reduces inflammation, useful for gout, back pain, and arthritis
- Reduces fever
- Mild pain reliever
- Tonic
- Blood thinner
- Willow also inhibits sexual urges and has been used to control wet dreams, premature ejaculation, and sexual overstimulation. Salix negra spp are more potent than Salix alba as an anti-aphrodisiac.
How to harvest willow bark for medicine
Strip the bark from the young branches of Salix alba varieties of willow in the Spring just before the sap begins to run, when the branches are rich with their new spring colour. This is the easiest time to separate the bark from the branch. If you have harvested the 1 year old willow rods for basketry, you can simply start at the base of the cut edge and peel it upwards toward the tip. The bark will peel off in strips. You can recognize Salix alba varieties by their brightly coloured bark in early spring — usually yellow, orange, or flaming red. Weeping willow trees and corkscrew willow are both varieties of Salix alba.
For tea/decoction
Once the strips of bark are harvested, allow to dry at room temperature in a dry, and airy spot, stirring frequently until it is fully dry before placing in a jar and storing in a cool, dry place.
To make a tincture
Fill a glass jar with strips of freshly harvested willow bark, from first year growth. Pack down somewhat so that the jar is full of willow bark. Cover the willow bark with vodka and cap. Place in a warm spot and shake once a day to distribute the alcohol through the plant material. After a month, strain the liquid and put in a coloured glass bottle, to protect the herb. Cap tightly. Label with Salix Alba, Willow Bark tincture and store in a cool, dark place.
Dosage of willow to replace aspirin with herbal remedies:
You might take 4 to 6 mL of willow bark tincture three times daily, capsules containing 60 to 240 mg of salicin daily, or three to four cups of tea made by simmering 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried bark in 8 ounces of boiling water for 15 minutes. Ask your doctor about the correct dose of white willow bark or aspirin before taking either remedy.
Brianna says
January 30, 2019 at 11:15 pmHi, I just harvested some willow today! yay! After I strip off the bark do I discard it? And to make a tincture with the bark does it also have to dry for a while or can it go in a jar after I have stripped it? Thank you!
Joybilee Farm says
January 31, 2019 at 1:44 pmYou can discard the twigs or you can use them to make a craft. Up to you. It’s the inner bark you want for your tincture.
Amy Prior says
September 6, 2018 at 9:00 amDo you have to use spring willow or can u use fall willow as well?
Joybilee Farm says
September 6, 2018 at 10:32 amYou can use the bark at any time, but in spring the bark is easier to remove from the tree.
Joseph says
September 2, 2018 at 9:37 amI have black willow in my are of Louisiana.
Can I use it the same?
Joybilee Farm says
September 2, 2018 at 2:15 pmYes, black willow works for this, too.
Latifa says
March 29, 2018 at 9:07 amHello…I just read on another site that weeping willow is an ornamental tree not used for medicine making…I see you say above it can be used. Can you Please clarify?
Thank you
kim says
October 15, 2018 at 9:44 amWeeping willow is all I have ever used.
The Crunchy Urbanite says
April 21, 2017 at 8:38 amWow, this is fantastic. Thank you.
louren says
March 22, 2017 at 8:19 amHi my name is Louren. I am doing a science project on how willow bark effects the environment in the process of making aspirin. What effects does cutting down willow bark have on our environment?
Joybilee Farm says
March 22, 2017 at 1:37 pmLouren, they don’t make aspirin out of willow bark. Aspirin is made in a lab from chemicals today. If you mean what effect does harvesting willow bark for herbal remedies have. Very little environmental effect. Twigs and branches can be used for the herbal medicine so there is no need to cut down the tree. Trees harvested for basket weaving remain living, and the bark is often removed from the willow withes as part of the preparation for basket making. The bark then is a by-product.
Miranda says
April 28, 2016 at 11:51 amHello there,
I am doing a science project where I’m comparing different methods of extracting salicin from willow bark and as your methods are quite similar to the process of maceration and infusion, I’ve used your instructions as sort of guidelines. However, I would like to know your sources for everything in the article, as the only source I could find directly from the article was to livestrong, and they tend to leave the sourcing out completely, which means the source control is weak and thus not scientifically significant.
Looking forward to an answer!
Joybilee Farm says
April 28, 2016 at 2:47 pmDear Miranda. Try Medicinal plants of the Pacific West, by Michael Moore, Shaker Medicinal herbs by Amy Bess Miller, Medical Herbalism by Hoffman. Just about any herbal medicine text book will give you the constituents of willow bark. If you are doing a science project though I highly recommend you use Google Scholar and not a blog to find your information. When using Google Scholar, use the botanical name Salix spp. rather than the common name. And you’ll get quite a few hits for salix alba in the scientific literature. There is a lot of research being done in Asia and Germany on herbs right now.