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Goat Willow: Pussy Willow.

Its common name reflects the fondness of goats for the spring foliage, also known as pussy willow after its soft silky catkins. Leaves are broad and small toothed with short point. Its is non native but planted and naturalised throughout Ireland. The willow family comprise of 435 species of willow and poplars. Their habitat is riverbanks, lakeside and foodplains and are rapid growing and often pioneering species, but are short-lived, some lasting only 20 years.

Willows are pollinated by wind and insects. There are at least 20 natural hybrids making the task of identification almost impossible.

My first introduction to its timber in school was not as part of nature class but when 'Sally Rod' was raised in order to maintain discipline but that was in the stone age!! Though white willow is the wood for making cricket bats in Ireland, its most important use was in making sound boxes for the harp. Entirely made from willow, the most famous Irish Harp resides at Trinity College, Dublin. Not intimidated by Claudia or Naomi, its modelling career began at the ripe old age of 550! It is Brian Boru's harp which you are very familiar with no doubt.

In the medical field, it is used for artificial limbs and a derivative of willow bark gives us 'Asprin', and the active compound salicin used in many folk medicines.

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