What are some of the uses of shrub willow?
Shrub willow is a perennial that can be grown as a sustainable bioenergy crop on marginal land. The stems are typically harvested every three or four years using a self-propelled forage harvester that cuts and chips the stems. Willow wood chips can be dried and pelletized or combusted directly to produce heat and/or electricity. Willow wood chips can also be used to produce biofuels, such as ethanol. Shrub willows produce a dense cluster of stems on each plant, so they can be planted to form living snowfences, privacy hedges, riparian buffers or used to restore streambanks. Some varieties are planted as ornamentals and other varieties produce long, straight, flexible stems that can be woven to make baskets.
