Salix herbacea

L.

New England Dwarf Willow

G5Secure Found in 3 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.140634
Element CodePDSAL021A0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderSalicales
FamilySalicaceae
GenusSalix
Other Common Names
Dwarf Willow (EN) Saule herbacé (FR) snowbed willow (EN) Snowbed Willow (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Excel v3.2x
Review Date2024-08-30
Change Date1984-09-06
Edition Date2024-08-30
Edition AuthorsNordman, C. (2024).
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Salix herbacea occurs in northern North America, Greenland, and Europe. There are estimated to be more than 5000 occurrences, most are in eastern and northern Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, northern Sweden, Scotland, Switzerland, and Austria. It may be threatened by recreation impacts in some alpine areas, competition with other plants, including invasive exotic plants may become a greater threat with increasing warming of the climate.
Range Extent Comments
Salix herbacea occurs in northern North America, Greenland, and Europe. Most occurrences are in eastern and northern Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, northern Sweden, Scotland, Switzerland, and Austria. It also occurs in mountain ranges in other European countries. Range extent was estimated to be about 20 million square kilometers, using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (FNA 2010, GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, there are estimated to be more than 5000 occurrences of Salix herbacea rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Salix herbacea may be threatened by recreation impacts in some alpine areas, competition with other plants, including invasive exotic plants may become a greater threat with increasing warming of the climate.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Salix herbacea grows in "snowbeds and places with good snow protection, well-drained riverbanks, sandy beaches, granite boulder ridges, steep bouldery slopes, or in marshes, usually on non-calcareous substrates, [and] places exposed to sea-spray" (FNA 2010).
Terrestrial Habitats
Sand/dune
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDSCRUB-SHRUB WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (2)
United StatesNNR
ProvinceRankNative
New HampshireS1Yes
MaineS1Yes
New YorkS1Yes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
Island of NewfoundlandS2Yes
NunavutS5Yes
LabradorS4Yes
QuebecS5Yes
Northwest TerritoriesS4Yes
ManitobaS1Yes
Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)Yes
Roadless Areas (3)
New Hampshire (3)
AreaForestAcres
Great Gulf Ext.White Mountain National Forest15,110
Mt. Wolf - Gordon PondWhite Mountain National Forest11,846
Presidential - Dry River ExtWhite Mountain National Forest10,555
References (2)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2010. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 7. Magnoliophyta: Salicaceae to Brassicaceae. Oxford University Press, New York. xxii + 797 pp.
  2. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.