#cricketbatwillow

Plant of the Day

Thursday 31 December 2020

There has been plenty of rain where I live in Essex, UK, resulting in some rivers overflowing their banks and some atmospheric foggy conditions. However, the native Salix alba var. caerulea (cricket-bat willow) planted on the river banks is well adapted to these wet conditions. This variety, a female form of Salix alba (white willow), was discovered about 300 years ago in Norfolk and has been cloned ever since to supply the cricket bat industry. The wood from one tree can be used to make 20 to 30 cricket bats.