Swamp Willow

Read about Swamp Willow in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Salix myrtilloides, Linn. Fig. 3526. A shrub, 2-5 ft. high, with rather slender brown twigs: lvs. oblong or elliptic-obovate, usually obtuse at both ends, entire and smooth, reticulate-veined: aments rather few-fld.: caps. reddish, glabrous. N. E. N. Amer. and Eu. Usually grows in cold peat-bogs.—Probably not in cult. The plant sold under this name is probably some form of S. purpurea, which S. myrtilloides closely resembles in general appearance. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

? Swamp Willow secure
Salix myrtilloides in Northern Norway
Plant Info
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Malpighiales Family: Salicaceae Genus: Salix Species: S. myrtilloides
Binomial name
Salix myrtilloides L.

Swamp Willow (Salix myrtilloides) is a shrubby willow native to boglands in subarctic and arctic Europe and Asia, with a few small isolated populations further south in mountain bogs in the Alps.

The leaves resemble Bog Bilberry (Vaccinium uliginosum) (hence the name in the Finnish and Swedish languages which translates as "Bog Bilberry Willow").

A very similar closely related species, the Bog Willow (Salix pedicellaris), occurs in northern North America; it is classified as a variety of Swamp Willow S. myrtilloides var. pedicellaris by some botanists.