Unlike most shrubs of this region, they do not strongly defend themselves from herbivores by producing toxins. Thus willows are good forage for caribou and small rodents. Moose are able to extend their range into the Arctic on the basis of willow thickets, browsing the leaves in summer, the twigs in winter, and stripping the sweet bark in early spring. Scientists are attempting to reconstruct a picture of the plants that grew on land bridge Beringia during the Ice Ages, and to understand how those plants supported an array of large grazing animals, Most agree that willow shrub communities existed then, especially in the more southern regions now covered by the sea. As in modern Beringia, willows probably covered only a minority of the landscape, but would have been exceedingly important in increasing the forage diversity and thus the diversity of herbivores the land could support.
All willow species are safe to eat but some are better tasting.
Many cultures have discovered the medicinal values of willows. Aspirin was originally made from willow bark. In the late 19th century a way was discovered to synthesize the active ingredient, soon displacing the natural compounds. Willow bark is an effective anti-inflammatory, pain reliever and fever treatment. Besides internal uses, it is used in liniments for inflamed muscles and the crushed leaves have been used to treat hornet stings.