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Desert Willow

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wolfsire:
Yesterday, with some time to kill, my daughter and I went abo exploring around vacant suburban lots here in Las Vegas and discovered a couple of Desert Willows.  They are not true willows.

DW are native to the SW, including southern Nevada.  I have lived here all my life, and to my knowledge have never seen one before.  But, they are riparian and the local creek dried up (wells) almost a century ago.  The ones I found are certainly the wild offspring of transplanted ones.

I’ve read that the local Indians, the Southern Paiute, used this plant for bows, and I would guess arrows too.

This looks like a full quiver in the making!  In the area I found a dry twig of suitable arrow size and worked it.  I think it was of DW.  The bark was very difficult to remove, but it heat bent every well.  Maybe this plant will grow a bow in the next year or two.

Auggie:
Ive never used willow for arras,almost every thing Ive read on the subject, willow is the last resort for a arrow shaft.So if anyone has used willow with any success please jump in, Ive got tons of it on my place. Auggie.

wolfsire:
An important thing to consider is that the desert willow is not actually a willow, so the same rules do not apply.

On actual willows, i have heard that they are not any good for bows, but you can use anything for arrows.  Considering that a bow has to bend and an arrow only has to fly, that sounds right to me.  You should make some willow arrows and see  how it goes.

heavybow:
Ive wonder if there is desert willow at wetland park next to the archery range. Have to look around. marlon

wolfsire:
I work for the county and live waaaaay to the north, like 215 north wiith 3 kids, so it would be easier for me to ask someone in the countys parks dept. than actually make it down there.

As a up date, I cut one stick to work for an arrow and picked up a few dry.  I threw away the dry as they were too difficult to work.  The wet was, obviously a lot easier, but it has so many small knots that it makes it hard to keep round.  I also worked about 3 tamrisks today aged a few weeks.  Debarking was a little more difficult but they look and feel like they will make much better arrows.  Desert willow will work, but Im sure now tamarisk will be better.

I know there is a threat here or over at paleo about working a desert willow into a bow that indicated the wood was only so so, but I still would like to give it a shot.  But it if it is in the part, I am sure they would frown on cutting it.  I would bet they would let cutting of tamarisk though.

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