up:: [[Permaculture]] people:: [[Kara Huntermoon]], [[Andrew Millison]] tags:: #source/video #on/carbon_sequestration #on/permaculture #on/sustainability # Willow Fences [Is This the Most Useful Plant on EARTH? - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPR0-06L2ks) Willow (Genus: Salix) Useful for streambank stabilization and living fences - this creates a fence that not just a boundary but part of the harvest. Principles: [[Obtain a Yield]], [[Use Edges and Value the Marginal]]. > "As soon as you put in a metal fence, it starts to degrade and it gets worse over time. But when you plant a living willow fence, it get stronger over time. So you end up with something more functional as it ages." - [[Kara Huntermoon]] Stacking functions: fence, animal feed, raw materials, habitat, carbon sequestration (especially since it's actively pruned, higher sequestration than just planting a row of trees). Willow's super power: a cutting of any size will attempt to root. When planted in a cross-fence patterns, the stems will eventually graft together and create a solid, living structure. Harvest cuttings on the dormant season, willow's energies are stored at the roots, and can be prune all the way to the ground if desired. Related [[Coppice Culture]], sustainable harvesting. Many people are afraid of cutting their plants, thinking they are damaging the plant. But with the right species, this reset the biological clock and extends the life of the plant. Plant directly in ground where desired in Jan-Feb. It needs pruning, and a tighter fence can be achieved by weaving the new growth into the existing structure. [[Spiling]] - "Basket rooted into the ground" to stabilize ponds and river banks, slowing down the water flow through the landscape.