Where does White Willow Bark come from?
White willow bark comes from the white willow tree, which can grow up to 23 meters tall. This tree is native to Europe and Asia and the name “white willow” comes from the leaves, which are covered with fine white hairs. Chinese herbalists used this natural pain killer for centuries and in the 18th century Western medicine recognized white willow as a pain reliever and fever reducer. European settlers brought the white willow tree to North America, where they discovered that the local people were already using some of the native willow species to alleviate pain and fight fevers. German and French scientists isolated the plant”s active ingredient – salicin – in 1828. A decade later, European chemists manufactured salicylic acid, a chemical related to aspirin, from salicin. Aspirin, or acetylsalicylic acid, was later created from another herb containing salicin. At the end of the 19th century, the Bayer company had started to commercially produce aspirin.
