Dwarf arctic willow
Salix purpurea 'Nana' · Salicaceae
A dense, rounded shrub of slender, purple stems and narrow, blue-grey leaves, with a fine, soft texture. It grows in wet soil and can be clipped as a low hedge.
- Size
- 4 ft tall, 5 ft wide
- Zones
- 4 to 7
- Light
- Full sun to part sun
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Anchor
A bed built around dwarf arctic willow
The planner designed this bed around dwarf arctic willow when this page was made: a 16 × 8 ft (4.9 × 2.4 m) English border in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 966 that suit those conditions, and says below why dwarf arctic willow stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Dwarf arctic willow × 1, blue-green leaves
- 2 Verbena 'Homestead Purple' × 6, purple
- 3 Dianthus 'Kahori' × 8, pink
- 4 White mugwort × 4, cream
- 5 Wild quinine × 3, white
- 6 Switchgrass 'Cheyenne Sky' × 8, purple
- 7 Scarlet coral bells × 5, pink
- 8 Broad-leaved grape hyacinth × 12, blue
- 9 Daffodil × 10, yellow
- 10 Hyacinth × 10, blue
Why this plant
- The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.
- Part of the bed's structure. Shrubs and grasses keep their shape when the perennials die down. So does switchgrass 'Cheyenne Sky'.
Why here
- Anchors a back corner. At 4 ft it is one of the taller plants here, and the tallest close the ends of the bed, where they stand in front of nothing.
- A step in the back row. Next to white mugwort (5 ft): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- One plant, alone. A shrub is seen as an object, and needs clear ground around it.
Why now
- Here for its leaves, spring to frost. They cover the 14 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 8 of the 8 groups (100%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. The back corners are held by white mugwort and dwarf arctic willow, the tallest plants on the plan. The longest in flower is verbena 'Homestead Purple': 21 weeks, from mid May to early October.
The planner's own design check: 12 Excellent, 5 Good. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where dwarf arctic willow goes in a border
At 4 ft it belongs at the back of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is moderately tall (3 to 4 ft).
Its job: anchor. A shrub that gives the bed permanent structure. Planted singly, as soon as the front edge is laid; everything else is arranged around it.
The fine, blue-grey foliage makes a soft, hazy mound. Cut it back hard every few years to keep it dense.
- Low hedges in wet soil
- Fine blue-grey texture
- Holding stream banks
What to plant with dwarf arctic willow
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Siberian iris: adds the flowers, late May to late June; happy in the same moist soil.
- Joe Pye weed 'Little Joe': adds the flowers, late July to early September; bold leaves against its fine ones; happy in the same moist soil.
- Red twig dogwood 'Arctic Fire': happy in the same moist soil.
Questions about dwarf arctic willow
Does dwarf arctic willow need sun or shade?
Dwarf arctic willow grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).
It wants soil that stays evenly moist, of average fertility, and plenty of water. It copes with soil that stays wet.
What zones does dwarf arctic willow grow in?
USDA zones 4 to 7. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).
Above zone 7 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
How far apart should dwarf arctic willow be planted?
4 ft (120 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 5 ft (150 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 4 ft (120 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many dwarf arctic willow plants do I need?
Usually one. At 4 ft (120 cm) across, it is a plant you place, not one you mass. For a hedge or screen, set them 4 ft apart: three plants for a 10 ft run.
In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.
Is dwarf arctic willow poisonous to dogs and cats?
No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension and the ASPCA.
"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.
Is there a native plant like dwarf arctic willow?
Dwarf arctic willow comes from Europe, Northern Africa east to Central Asia and Japan. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- Red twig dogwood 'Arctic Fire': the same job in a bed; 8 in narrower, medium leaves, not fine.
- Inkberry 'Shamrock': the same job in a bed; 8 in narrower, keeps its leaves in winter.
- Globe arborvitae 'Little Giant': the same job in a bed; 8 in narrower, keeps its leaves in winter.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Do deer eat dwarf arctic willow?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
What does dwarf arctic willow look like in winter?
Dwarf arctic willow drops its leaves and stands as bare branches. That is when to see its shape, and to prune it if it needs pruning.
Is dwarf arctic willow good for bees and butterflies?
Dwarf arctic willow is visited by pollinators and butterflies.
It is a host plant: the caterpillars of viceroy feed on its leaves. A butterfly can only lay its eggs on its host plants, so these do more for it than any nectar flower.
More Salix
- Dappled willow Salix integra 'Hakuro-nishiki'
In these guides
Every fact on record
- Type
- Shrub
- Size
- 4 ft (120 cm) tall, 5 ft (150 cm) wide
- Plant
- 4 ft (120 cm) apart
- Height class
- Moderately tall (3 to 4 ft)
- Place in the bed
- Back
- Flowers
- None: grown for its foliage
- Leaves
- Fine texture, deciduous; blue-green
- Shape
- Rounded, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 7
- Light
- Full sun, part sun
- Soil
- Average, evenly moist
- Water
- High
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Salicaceae
- Comes from
- Europe, Northern Africa east to Central Asia and Japan
- Attracts
- Pollinators, butterflies
- Host plant for
- Viceroy
- Stands up to
- Deer, rabbits, wet soil, black walnut
Checked against NC State Extension and ASPCA poison lists. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.