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Salix, commonly known as Willow, Osier and Sallow, are a large genus in the Salicaceae. There are around 40 species and numerous hybrids recorded as growing in Britain and Ireland.

They are typically found in wet, temperate and cold areas. They are typically trees and shrubs, and can range from dwarf species in exposed areas, to large trees. 

Willows are widely used for creating baskets and other containers made from the woven, flexible stems. Traditional medicine has used willow bark and stems to treat a number of illnesses, due to the analgesic affect.

Salix lanata, or Wooly Willow, is native to Scotland, gorwing in remote areas and at risk of extinction due to climate change. In 2019 the herbarium collaborated with Sarah Clarkson,who created a design based on our specimens of Salix lanta. More about this collaboration can be found on our blog.

The collections from Britain and Ireland held within the RBGE Herbarium are estimated to number over 500,000 specimens of cryptogams (algae, fungi, lichens and mosses), ferns, gymnosperms and flowering plants. In 2021 we began to increase our in-house digitisation capacity with the aim of completing the digitisation of its 3 million specimens in a 5-year programme (2021-2025). The next series of expeditions seek to complement this body of work by enriching the basic online catalogue records produced by the in-house digitisation team with specimen label data.

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s extensive Herbarium numbers nearly three million specimens representing half to two thirds of the world's flora. It is considered a leading botanical collection, and every year many researchers from around the world visit to study our specimens.