Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Salicaceae

Genus:

Salix

Species:

Salix uva-ursi

USDA Symbol:

SAUV

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Shrub

Height:

15 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

Low

Bloom Months:

apr,may,jun

Ground Cover:

Yes

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

★★★★★ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)

Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:

★★★★★ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, small mammals

Fall Color:

yellow

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts vigorously from root crown after fire; common in boreal and alpine communities with periodic disturbance.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

moist, nutrient-rich, well-drained soil

pH:

5.0 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

tolerates poor drainage

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

Commonly found in riparian zones and wetlands

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

None required

Notes:

Willow seeds are very short-lived and must be sown immediately after collection on moist substrate; no dormancy but viability drops within days.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI