There are four hundred species of deciduous trees and shrubs that can be found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Willow limbs are a tough wood with slender leaves and large fibrous roots. The limbs are remarkable for their toughness, size a tenacity to life and roots readily grow from aerial parts of the tree. Willows are very cross-fertile and numerous hybrids occur both naturally and in cultivation. A well known ornamental willow is the weeping willow which is a hybrid of Peking willow from China and white willow from Europe. Weaving with rattan core (still known as reed) is one of the more popular techniques being practiced because it is readily available. It is pliable when woven correctly and is very sturdy. Also while traditional materials like oak, hickory and willow might be hard to come by. Reed is plentiful and can be cut into any size or shape that may be needed for a pattern. The easiest baskets to make are those that involve using flat reed for the stakes and weaving with the round reed. Another advantage is reed can also be dyed to look like oak or hickory.

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