Salix viminalis is a plant widely applied as a source of renewable energy. It is also known as a possible biofilter for extraction of soil and water contaminants. The current study presents preliminary results on heavy metal ion uptake (Cu²⁺, Cr³⁺, Zn²⁺) by living plants of Salix viminalis. In relation, a new concept of further utilization of ion-enriched wood is proposed as raw material for carbon-based catalyst fabrication by heat treatment of metal-impregnated partly dried biomass. Particular attention is paid to the distribution of heavy metal ions along the plant stem, since one intends to exploit natural transport and distribution of metal ions in living plants. The uptake from water solution and subsequent accumulation of ions in plant tissues was investigated regarding the form in which ions were present in water solution. Accumulation rates were higher for ion complexes with EDTA in comparison to aqua complexes.