Overview & Description

The Dwarf Arctic Willow (Salix purpurea ‘Nana’) is a compact, dense, multi-stemmed deciduous shrub prized for its fine-textured, blue-green to silvery-grey foliage and graceful, rounded form. Its narrow, linear leaves have a subtle silvery underside, creating a soft, almost feathery appearance. The slender, purplish stems provide winter interest. While its small, inconspicuous yellow spring catkins are of minor ornamental value, they provide early-season interest and attract pollinators.

Growth & Size

This variety exhibits a dense, rounded to broad-rounded, and multi-stemmed growth habit. It typically reaches a mature size of about 4 to 6 feet in height with a similar spread of 4 to 6 feet. It has a fast growth rate and can live for approximately 30 years under ideal conditions.

Additional Notes

It blooms in early spring with non-showy catkins. This tough, adaptable shrub thrives in full sun to part shade and prefers moist, well-drained soils, but tolerates a wide range of conditions, including periodic wet feet, poor soils, and urban pollution. It responds very well to pruning for size control. An outstanding choice for low hedges, foundation plantings, mass plantings, or as a specimen in rain gardens, damp areas, and waterside plantings where reliable, low-maintenance interest and fine texture are desired.