Is willow wood hard or soft? (2023)

Is willow wood soft?

Willow is a lightweight hardwood with good shock resistance, but overall is weak for its weight. Related Species: Crack Willow (Salix fragilis)

This versatile plant can be put to many uses on a holding — as a hedging plant, shelterbelt and tree fodder and for basket and hurdle-making, biomass, worming and other medicinal uses. It also helps to boost biodiversity as it is the food plant for many caterpillars and an early nectar source for bees.

Good firewood. Burns well but only produces a moderate heat output. Willow has a high water content so only burns well when very well seasoned.

Bending wood dates back to antiquity in the form of baskets from willow branches. Fresh growth willow twigs are readily bent into practically any shape.

The Willow Tree

There are many different species of willow trees. They thrive in wet or moist soil, so you'll commonly see the trees growing around lakes, streams, and ponds. Although the tree is technically classified as a hardwood, the wood itself is very soft and wet compared to other hardwoods like oak or maple.

Light and flexible willow wood is used for wicker-work furniture and basket. It does not split when nailes. Before the discovery of plastics, toys were made from willow. Artificial limbs, packing cases and some furniture parts are also willow products.

Willow is a lightweight hardwood with good shock resistance, but overall is weak for its weight.

Willow wood may take a really long time to season, most commonly getting appropriately seasoned at two years. This is a much longer time than other hard woods, mostly because willow wood is lighter and takes longer to dry out completely. What's more, willow wood may rot before it dries.

Willow logs need to be seasoned for at least 12 month; kindling (up to 1” diameter) can be used 6 months after being cut. Logs should be dried off the ground; those in contact with the ground will rot. After 6 months logs should be placed in an open sided log shed to season.

What wood should you not burn?

Avoid: Green/Wet Wood

Why is this important to do? Because wood that contains too much moisture (called green wood) doesn't produce the kind of warm, roaring fire with tall flames that you might want. Instead, it results in a low, smoldering fire with long-burning embers that produces a lot of creosote.

Because dry weeping willow will burn like paper, willow can be used to start a fire quickly. The wood will split easily due to its softwood texture.

Willow wood may be burned in a fireplace if it is adequately cured (dried). It produces less heat than many other woods, but it may be burned unless the tree was recently treated with pesticides. If it has been treated, it may still be possible to use the firewood, depending on what was used to treat the tree.

Biblical references to willow trees include Psalm 137, in which Jews held in captivity to Babylon weep remembering their homeland: "There on the willow trees, we hung up our harps." Instead of a source of power, the willow here symbolizes loss, along with the hope of future retrieval.

How to Make Willow Structures for Your Garden - YouTube

Willow. Although a brilliant wood for when you're beginning to carve because it's very soft and easy to cut, willow isn't as aesthetically nice as other woods. Roasting improves this and makes it more durable, as long as you don't over-cook it!

Willow is defo not toxic so it will be fine.

Identifying Willow - YouTube

A beautiful piece of willow furniture should only be used outdoors if it is under a roofed-in area that is protected from “direct” sun and rain. If possible, furniture should be stored indoors in winter. When the pieces begin to look dry or 'thirsty', they can be resealed with an exterior water based polyurethane.

Willow bark has been used throughout the centuries in China and Europe, and continues to be used today for the treatment of pain (particularly low back pain and osteoarthritis), headache, and inflammatory conditions, such as bursitis and tendinitis.

Is willow a good material?

Willow wood is a sustainable material because of the willow trees' carbon sequestration potential and the carbon offset value at the end of any products made with willow wood.

Willow wood is a sustainable material because of the willow trees' carbon sequestration potential and the carbon offset value at the end of any products made with willow wood.

Willow is defo not toxic so it will be fine.

Ideally, you should wait, say, 6 weeks from cutting before using it to allow dry a little, whilst still being flexible. However, once the willow has become more dried (it's then called brown willow) – from, say, late April onwards it will probably* need soaking before it is pliable enough to use.

Willow. Although a brilliant wood for when you're beginning to carve because it's very soft and easy to cut, willow isn't as aesthetically nice as other woods. Roasting improves this and makes it more durable, as long as you don't over-cook it!

Willow is a lightweight hardwood with good shock resistance, but overall is weak for its weight.

Identifying Willow - YouTube

The weeping willow is poor quality for burning. The trees produce little smoke and few sparks. Weeping willows are easy to split and only have a slight fragrance. Willow wood produces only 17.6 million BTUs, or British thermal units, advises Virginia Tech.

Can wood from a willow tree be put in our fireplace to burn? Answer: Willow wood may be burned in a fireplace if it is adequately cured (dried). It produces less heat than many other woods, but it may be burned unless the tree was recently treated with pesticides.

What woods are toxic to humans?

At the other end of the spectrum, contact with the actual wood of some species can cause extreme reactions. Those woods are usually the more exotic tropical hardwoods, such as rosewood, padauk, and teak, but sassafras (a relatively common found wood) can cause breathing problems, nausea, or even cancer.

Green willow or fresh cut as it is also known, is incredibly flexible and can stay so for around 6 weeks.

Avoid: Green/Wet Wood

Why is this important to do? Because wood that contains too much moisture (called green wood) doesn't produce the kind of warm, roaring fire with tall flames that you might want. Instead, it results in a low, smoldering fire with long-burning embers that produces a lot of creosote.

Preparing willow for basket making: Soaking - YouTube