Salix herbacea

Overview

Salix herbacea has glossy, densely veined leaves with rounded teeth above branched woody stems. Male and female flower spikes grow on separate plants. SNL describes flowering soon after snowmelt, nectar-bearing flowers and tiny wind-dispersed seeds with woolly tufts. Its global distribution is in northern-hemisphere mountain regions.

Across six paired sites near Davos, a 2015 study followed reciprocal transplants for two growing seasons. Destination controlled timing and leaf size: plants moved to ridges leafed out earlier, developed more slowly after snowmelt and formed smaller leaves.

Flowering and stem numbers mainly followed origin, and measured fitness showed no overall home-site advantage. On ridges, smaller leaves and longer development accompanied less flowering; in snowbeds, larger leaves accompanied greater clonal stem gains. Short-term snowbed persistence was attributed to high stem density, while the authors warned that earlier snowmelt could reduce longer-term performance.

Origins & earliest records

Phenological plasticity does not date species emergence.

Evidence & interpretation

Institutional botany; two-year field transplant experiment.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   musøre

   · 2026 (last updated)

   Selected evidence.

2. 02

   The Response of the Alpine Dwarf Shrub Salix herbacea to Altered Snowmelt Timing: Lessons from a Multi-Site Transplant Experiment

   · 2015

   Selected evidence.

Family, evolution & connections

Taxonomic classification

A hierarchy of classified groups, not a chain of direct ancestors.

Source note: GBIF exact accepted species match.

1. kingdomPlantae
2. phylumTracheophyta
3. classMagnoliopsida
4. orderMalpighiales
5. familySalicaceae
6. genusSalix
7. speciesSalix herbacea

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

1. Institutional synthesismusøreResearch access: 2026-10-07
2. Primary researchThe Response of the Alpine Dwarf Shrub Salix herbacea to Altered Snowmelt Timing: Lessons from a Multi-Site Transplant ExperimentResearch access: 2026-10-07
3. Institutional taxonomyGBIF taxonomic matchResearch access: 2026-10-07

Image credits

Dwarf willow leaves and male flower spikes with pale anthers.

Whole SNL display copy; place/date unstated; unaltered.