The shrub willow, a plant normally planted as ornamental hedges or used in  weaving baskets, could now be one of the next mainstream biofuel crops used as a low-impact energy source to replace corn. Since 1998, Prof. Larry Smart ’87, plant genetics and physiology, has helped develop shrub willow as a viable biofuel through breeding programs. “We’re trying to develop fast-growing willow as a new bioenergy crop that’s highly sustainable, grows well on marginal land and potentially could support job growth and economic development in the rural Northeast,” he said.
http://www.cornellsun.com/section/science/content/2013/01/23/shrub-willow-building-better-biofuel