In a global perspective and compared to poplar cultivation, willow cultivation has been the stepchild of the employment of the Salicaceae. While willows are grown and used for a large number of different purposes in both the northern and southern hemispheres, willow growing traditionally has been carried out on a small scale. However, the number of species in the genus Salix exceeds the number of Populus species by one order of magnitude, and the geographical distribution and physiognomic range of willow species is larger than of poplars. Only recently has a start been made to exploit the large biological variation within the genus Salix by means of breeding and selection and by means of new planting and management schemes. During only one century, the major obstacles to the availability of forest products have been shifting from technical and economic limitations to ecological and environmental constraints. Due to its high potential of environmental assets, a rapid development of all aspects of willow cultivation is envisaged during the next decades. Willow growing offers a range of products, services and new environmental applications well beyond the range of those encountered in poplar growing. As willow and poplar are closely related genera, several of the lessons learned during the large-scale breeding and cultivation of poplars are relevant to the field of willow growing. These include logistics, mitigation of risk for pest and disease transfer, and especially the need to ensure a wide genetic variability, containing material suitable for different site conditions. Large-scale implementation of sustainable short rotation forestry can be achieved by means of further exploitation of willow in its potential position in between forestry and agriculture, as a recipient of surplus organic nutrients from unbanised and intensively used agricultural areas and as a buffer between productive land and water courses.Key words: breeding strategy, clones, coppice, implementation, International Poplar Commission, pathogens, phytoremediation, Salix, willow Dans une perspective globale et par comparaison B la culture du peuplier, la culture du saule a Ct C l'enfant pauvre de l'utilisation des SalicacCes. M&me si les saules sont cultives et utilisCs pour un trks grand nombre d'objectifs diffkrents tant dans l'htmisphkre nord que sud, la culture du saule a traditionnellement Ct C entreprise B petite Cchelle. Toutefois, le nombre d'espkces du genre Salix exckde le nombre d'espkces de Populus par un ordre de magnitude, et la distribution gCographique et la variabilitk physionomie des espkces de saules est plus importante que les peupliers. Ce n'est que rkcemment qu'a dkbutC l'exploitation de la grande variabilitk biologique au sein du genre Salix par voie de reproduction et de sklection et par voie de nouvelles plantations et de plans d'amknagement. Au cours de seulement un seul sikcle, les principaux obstacles h la disponibilit6 des produits forestien sont passes des limites techniques et 6conomiques B des contraintes Ccologiq...