How to Clone Willow Tree Oil

Before you can clone willow tree oil, you have to propagate the tree from whence the oil came. Propagating plants simply means taking a cutting from the plant, placing it in water or specialized root growth formula until it sprouts roots and is ready for planting. A cutting from a weeping willow branch will start the rooting process. Once rooted, plant in soil and water regularly until mature (about 10-20 years), when you can proceed with the oil extraction process. The inner bark of willow trees contains salicin, used by herbalists for hundreds of years to reduce fevers, pain, and inflammation. It is the base of acetylsalicylic acid, or aspirin. Ironically, aspirin in the rooting water will help the plant sprout.

Instructions

1

Take bark cuttings from your mature tree using a very sharp knife. Remove the bark in small squares from various areas of the tree, being careful not to cut into the woody pulp underneath. The bark serves as protection for the tree against termite and fungus infestation, so after removing the bark from an area, make certain to apply resins or other protective coverings to the areas from which the bark has been removed. Cut an amount of bark from the tree equivalent to a large bowlful to start.

2

Extracting the oil from the willow that contains the herb salicin can be performed a number of different ways -- from chemical extraction to cold pressing to simmering. The simmering method is the best, safest and easiest method. It's a little like making chicken soup without the chicken or mirepoix.

3

Break apart the bark into bits and place them into a pot that will hold the bark and a sufficient amount of water to cover the bark in water, with about an inch above the level of the bark. Cover with a lid, place on a stove and simmer the bark and water over low heat for at least four to six hours. The heat will separate the water from the fatty oils in the bark in much the same way it would liquefy and separate the fat from the chicken skin. You can't over-simmer the mixture, so extra time on the stove will only help extract any remaining oils.

4

Remove the bark and water from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature. Place into a refrigerator overnight and the fat, which is less dense than the water, will float to the top, congeal and harden, separating it from the watery bark below. Wait until the fatty content has sufficiently hardened on the surface.

5

Ladle the congealed oils from the bark broth. It will likely be a fairly thin layer of oil on top, so be careful to skim just the hardened oils and not the soup below. Heat the hardened oils gently to warm and it will return to a liquid state. Pour the willow oil into a thin-necked bottle immediately and cap with a lid or cork. The exposure to air will cause the willow oil to oxidize and quickly spoil. If kept in a dark, cool location, the oil should last at least six to eight weeks.

6

Repeat Steps 1 to 5 to make more cloned willow oil.