Thank you to“LabTea”, of the UBC Botanical Garden Forums, for today's photographs (original thread | BPotD Submissions Forum). I'm reading a book on photographic composition and put it down while on the subject of “pattern”, so I suspect that had some influence on choosing these images today. Much appreciated!
Bearberry willow is native to northeastern North America (including Greenland), though absent from New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Newsholme's book, Willows - The Genus Salix, states that it typically grows on calcareous rocks at high altitudes (though some other references suggest it will also do well on granitic rock. Newsholme also describes it as: “An ornamental, very distinctive and hardy dwarf species requiring a well-drained rocky situation”. In this case, dwarf means it will grow to a height of about 15cm, so it's apparent that both photographs have been taken with the camera at near-ground level.
The majority of species in the genus Salix are native to the northern hemisphere, but there are representatives in South America and tropical Africa (indeed, some of the rarest species can only be found in one river basin in Africa).
Salix uva-ursi - Z1 - RHS Index of Garden Plants, Griffiths
Salix, sa-liks; Lat. name for a willow, possibly from Celtic, sal, near, and lis, water. Plant Names Simplified, Johnson and Smith
What wonderful photos of a great plant until now unknown to me - I love the flowers, leaves and habit. It is apparently native to northwestern Maine although rare; now it is on my rock garden wish-list. Thanks for featuring a northeastern plant.
Is this one different than Arctostaphylos uva ursi?
A lot more info at the Salicaceae of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago page
Good question, Lorinda. The answer is they are different. The Arctostaphylos is a member of the Ericaceae, or heath family (with blueberries, rhododendrons and heathers). The epithet uva-ursi, like all epithets, can be used for many different species. A very common one is alba, meaning white. Uva-ursi is probably one of the most memorable, though (literally meaning “bear-fruit on the vine” or “bear-grape”).
Excellent link, Michael, thanks.
Last summer, I was privileged to spend two glorious sun-filled (a bonus) days monitoring rare plants on Mt Washington in NH. Salix uva-ursi was doing quite well there in the "granite state".
Thank you for the great and simple answer, I should have recognized the genus. Does anyone know if it has been used medicinally, or contain salicylates?
Not this willow species, specifically - at least from what I know. It wouldn't be difficult to imagine given its distribution, though.