Salix arctica - Arctic Willow

General Information Common Name  Arctic Willow Scientific Name  Salix arctica Sun Tolerance  Full Sun Height  1 - 15 cm (0.39-5.91 in) Spread  up to 3 m (10 ft) Growth Rate  Slow Bloom Time  Spring Color  Green, Flower Color  Pink Type  Shrub Native  USA, Europe, Asia.

Classification Kingdom  Plantae – Plants Subkingdom  Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division  Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants Class  Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons Subclass  Dilleniidae Order  Salicales Family  Salicaceae – Willow family Genus  Salix L. – Willow Species  S. arctica

Salix arctica - Arctic Willow

Salix arctica commonly known as Arctic willow. It is a tiny creeping willow of Salicaceae family. It is adapted to survive in harsh Arctic and subarctic environments, and has a circumpolar distribution round the Arctic Ocean. It likes cold climates, which makes the tundra a perfect place for it because the average temperatures range from -70 degrees F to 20 degrees F. The Arctic willow grows in tundra and rocky moorland, and is the northernmost woody plant in the world, occurring far above the tree line to the northern limit of land on the north coast of Greenland. Also found south in North America on high-altitude alpine tundra, south to the Sierra Nevada in California and the Rocky Mountains in New Mexico, and in Asia to Xinjiang in China.

S. arctica is typically a low shrub. It has many different shapes, but sometimes has long trailing branches that root where they touch the surface. It grows to only 1–15 cm (0.39–5.91 in) in height. Sometime grows up to 25 cm (9.8 in) high), but in the Pacific Northwest, it may reach up to 50 cm (20 in) in height. The leaves are round, color is shiny green, 1–4 cm (0.39–1.57 in) long and broad, rarely up to 8 cm (3.1 in) long and. 6 cm (2.4 in) broad. The leaves of the S. arctica have also adapted to the cold weather by growing long fuzzy silvery hairs. The Arctic willow blooms in the spring. They are 5 cm and are dark brown or sparkling pink. There's no fruit on the plant, only seeds. There are no taproots on this plant. The lateral roots are shallow due to the frozen ground underneath the permafrost. It is dioecious, with male and female catkins on separate plants. As a result, the plant's appearance varies; the female catkins are red-colored, while the male catkins are yellow-colored.

Although it's small size, it is a long-lived plant, growing too much slowly in the severe Arctic climate; one in eastern Greenland was found to be 236 years old.

The Arctic willow is a food source for several arctic animals. Muskoxen, caribou, Arctic hares and lemmings all feed on the bark and twigs, while the buds are the main food source of the ptarmigan. It is also used as medicine like as diarrhea and indigestion and used as poultice on wounds.

Salix arctica - Arctic Willow

Leaves of Arctic Willow

Flowers of Arctic Willow

Salix arctica Flowers

Arctic Willow Flowers

Salix arctica - Arctic Willow

Salix arctica - Arctic Willow

Salix arctica - Arctic Willow

Bark of Arctic Willow

Salix arctica - Arctic Willow

Salix arctica - Arctic Willow

Salix arctica - Arctic Willow

Salix arctica - Arctic Willow

Salix arctica - Arctic Willow

Salix alaxensis - Alaska willow - Feltleaf Willow

General Information Common Name  Alaska Willow, Feltleaf Willow Scientific Name  Salix alaxensis Sun Tolerance  Full Sun Height  1 - 9 m (3.3-30 ft) Spread  2 - 5 m (6.8 - 18 ft) Growth Rate  Fast Bloom Time  Spring Color  Green, Flower Color  White Type  Shrub Native  USA, Europe.

Classification Kingdom  Plantae – Plants Subkingdom  Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division  Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants Class  Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons Subclass  Dilleniidae Order  Salicales Family  Salicaceae – Willow family Genus  Salix L. – Willow Species  S. alaxensis

Salix alaxensis - Alaska Willow

Salix alaxensis commonly known as Alaska Willow also called Feltleaf Willow. It is native to northern North America, where it occurs throughout northern Canada and Alaska.

This plant is a shrub or small tree. It grows 1 - 9 m (3.3 - 30 ft) in height. The stem diameter is up to 18 cm (7.1 in). In harsher climates, it remains much smaller. The smooth, gray bark becomes furrowed and scaly with age. It is a deciduous tree. The leaves color are green. The leaves are up to 11 cm long and have woolly undersides, largest medial blade broadly oblong, narrowly oblong, narrowly elliptic to elliptic, 2-4 times as long as wide, base cuneate or convex, margins strongly revolute, entire or crenate, apex acuminate, acute, or convex, hairs wavy, sparsely or moderately densely villous to glabrescent, proximal blade margins entire; juvenile blade reddish or yellowish green (color often obscured by hairs), hairs white.

It blooms white-green flowers in late spring, male and female reproductive parts on separate individuals. The inflorescence is a catkin up to 10 cm long. The fruit is a capsule 4-5 mm long. The seed has a downy layer of fibers that helps it disperse via wind and moving water. The seed remains viable for about a week, but it germinates within 24 hours of deposition upon a moist soil substrate. It does not germinate easily on dry soils or forest litter. The plant primarily reproduces sexually, via seed, but it can also reproduce vegetatively. It can resprout easily, and if stem fragments break off, they can often take root and grow into new plants.

Native Americans used parts of willows, including this species, for medicinal purposes, basket weaving, to make bows and arrows, and for building animal traps.

Salix alaxensis - Alaska Willow

Alaska Willow Leaves

Salix alaxensis Leaves

Salix alaxensis - Alaska Willow Leaves

Alaska Willow Flowers

Salix alaxensis Flowers

Flowers of Alaska Willow

Salix alaxensis - Alaska Willow

Salix alaxensis - Alaska Willow

Salix alaxensis - Alaska Willow

Salix alaxensis - Alaska Willow