Dwarf willow: what is characteristic and where it grows?

Botanists have long known that some trees have many forms of growth, including shrubs and even miniature varieties. One such species is the dwarf willow.

More precisely, this name is not of the species, but of many varieties of an amazing tree, which we will talk about today.

Most of them grow beyond the Arctic Circle and in high altitude conditions. In the Alps, dwarf willow was found at an altitude of 3.2 km. This tree is found even on the islands of the Svalbard archipelago.

In the US, grows up to Labrador.All willows of this family are distinguished by attachment to wet places: they prefer to grow along the coast, sometimes even in those places that the surf regularly rolls on.

Almost all of their representatives are so beautiful that they immediately won recognition among landscape designers. In particular, they are recommended to be used for landscaping alpine hills and rocky areas.

Dwarf willow perfectly withstands freezing and long stay under the snow due to the fact that its small trunks creep close to the ground.

The oval buds are up to 6 mm long and tightly pressed against the shoots. On one shoot no more than 3-4 leaflets develop. Stirins no.

The leaves of most species are distinguished by their broadly elliptical shape; their apex is round or with a small notch, their length rarely exceeds 25-27 mm.

In addition, young leaves are distinguished by the presence of "fluff" on both sides, whereas in older specimens it is preserved only along the cuttings of the leaves.

Despite the love of good moisture,Dwarf willow is very often found on stony slopes, often grows on the very boundary of rock faults, especially preferring limestone. The acidification (and salinity, as we have said) of the soil makes good. Down on the ground shoots immediately rooted.

In species that grow in differentclimatic zones, there are serious differences in the vegetative process. In mid-April, buds grow in dwarf willows in the Alps, and by the beginning of May other varieties begin to grow during the growing season.

Despite the resemblance, these plants are stronglydiffer from each other in the degree of leaves pubescence and young shoots, as well as in the size of the trunk itself. So, S. reticulata, which grows in the Northern Urals, is distinguished by rather long shoots reaching 25 cm and dark green leathery leaves.

Khibiny plants also include willow sphericaldwarf shoots that do not reach significant magnitude. Alpine species are even smaller. They keep fluff on the bottom of the sheet for a long time.

All these shrubs grow very poorly, sofor rooting, it is better to use only young shoots, since the stiff are almost not rooted. The plants from the Northern Urals grow best and take root. So, in three years they reach the same size as the Khibiny specimens in 11 years.

Regardless of the species, the dwarf willow (the photo of which is in the article) is extremely resistant to pests, frost and lack of nutrients in the soil.