Arctic willow

Salix arctica

A willow that creeps flat along the ground; young leaves are eaten in early summer and its catkins are the first food for Arctic bees.

Type: groundcover · native and wild plants
Hardiness: zones 1 to 6
Light: full sun
Size: about 0.5 ft tall, 3 ft wide
Harvest: June to July
From: Arctic tundra of North America, Greenland and northern Asia
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.

Good for: food, pollinators, wildlife, traditional use.

Native to: Alaska, Western Canada, Eastern Canada, Northern Europe & the taiga. Hardy in zones 1 to 6.

The story

The arctic willow is the most northerly woody plant on Earth, a tree that lies flat and may be a century old at ankle height. Its catkins feed the first bumblebees of the Arctic summer, and its leaves feed caribou, muskoxen and hares. Inuit eat the young leaves and used the seed fluff, mixed with moss, as a wick for the stone lamp.

Planting

Full sun in cool, moist, well-drained ground: a rock garden, trough or gravel bed. Plant in spring or early autumn, male and female plants if you want seed.

Growing

Very slow, and it needs no pruning. Keep it moist in summer and never let taller plants shade it out.

Harvest and use

Young leaves and buds are picked in early summer and eaten fresh; they taste mild and slightly sweet. Take only a little from each plant.

What to watch for

Heat is the enemy: it will not live through hot, humid summers. Waterlogged soil in winter rots it.

Safety

Medicinal uses here are shared as history, not advice. Kitchen amounts are fine for most people, but teas, tinctures and supplements can interact with medicines and aren't safe for everyone, especially in pregnancy, while breastfeeding, for children, or with liver or kidney problems. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before taking any plant as medicine.

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More native and wild plants

General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home