The Species: Salix viminalis
Of the many willow species found in Poland, Salix viminalis — common osier — is the one most consistently used in wicker production. Its shoots grow long and straight in a single season, reaching anywhere from 100 to 200 centimetres depending on the variety and soil conditions. The plant is managed as a short-rotation coppice: after cutting, the root stock regenerates and produces new shoots the following spring.
Other species — Salix purpurea and Salix triandra — appear in specialist uses, particularly where finer, darker bark or a narrower rod diameter is needed. But for general basketry, Salix viminalis remains the standard.
Weaving a basket from prepared willow rods. Source: Wikimedia Commons (CC)
Harvest Timing
Rods are cut after the plant enters dormancy — typically from late October through February, with November and December being the most common period. Cutting during active sap flow produces rods that are more prone to cracking and discolouration as they dry.
In the Rudnik nad Sanem district, many growers work within a defined seasonal window to maintain consistency in the crop. A late harvest — pushed into March — risks the buds beginning to swell, which affects the bark quality for peeling.
Brown Willow vs. White Willow
The simplest distinction in willow rod preparation is whether the bark is left on or removed.
Brown Willow
Brown willow rods are dried with the bark intact. After cutting, they are bundled by length and stood upright or laid flat in ventilated storage. Drying takes several weeks. The resulting rods are darker, slightly rougher in texture, and valued for rustic work — garden baskets, log carriers, and structural frames where appearance is secondary to durability.
White Willow
White willow requires peeling. To make the bark removable, dried rods are soaked in water until the bark softens and separates cleanly. This typically takes three to seven days in cold water, or can be shortened with warm water. Once softened, the bark is stripped using a two-pronged iron tool called a cleave or a simple notched board. The exposed wood is pale, smooth, and consistent in colour — used for finer work where a clean finish is expected.
Buff Willow
A third preparation method involves boiling the rods while the bark is still attached. The tannins in the bark stain the wood a warm brownish-buff tone before it is peeled. Buff willow is darker than white but more even than brown, and it was historically common in Polish market basketry.
Sorting by Length and Grade
Before storage or sale, rods are sorted into standardised length groups. In Polish commercial production, these typically run in 20 cm increments from 60 cm to 180 cm or beyond. Within each length group, rods are further graded by diameter at the butt (the thicker end) and by straightness.
Weavers working with rods by hand develop a sensitivity to the taper — the ratio of tip diameter to butt diameter — which affects how rods bend and lock into place during weaving. A rod that tapers too sharply can crack at the tip when bent around a tight corner.
Soaking Before Use
Dried rods, whether brown or white, must be re-moistened before weaving. Dry willow snaps; soaked willow bends cleanly around tight curves without splitting. The standard approach is to submerge the rods in a tank or trough of cold water for a period that depends on the rod's diameter and how long it has been in storage.
Thinner rods (under 6 mm butt diameter) may need only a few hours. Heavier structural rods can require a full day or more. After soaking, rods are kept wrapped in damp cloth or hessian to hold moisture during the weaving session.
Over-soaking is a common mistake that weakens the rod's structure: the wood fibres begin to separate, and the bark — if still attached — may start to slip off of brown rods.
Regional Context: Rudnik nad Sanem
The town of Rudnik nad Sanem in the Subcarpathia (Podkarpacie) region of southeastern Poland has been connected to osier cultivation and basket production for well over a hundred years. The combination of sandy, river-valley soils along the San river and a tradition of organised cooperative production created conditions where willow growing became a local industry rather than a cottage activity.
Wicker products from the Rudnik area were exported across Europe throughout the twentieth century. The range included not just baskets but furniture, carriages and baby prams — some of which are documented in the collection of the Regional Museum in Stalowa Wola.