Photo: Dani.j.lombardi, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Arctic Willow

Salix arctica

Also known as Arctic Willow, Snow Willow, Dwarf Willow

At a glance

Family

Salicaceae (willow family)

Type

Prostrate, mat-forming dwarf shrub

Parts used

Inner bark (occasionally leaves)

Size

Rarely more than a few inches tall, though old mats can creep several feet wide

Bloom

Fuzzy catkins in early summer, June to July

Habitat

Arctic and alpine tundra, rocky slopes, and gravel flats across the circumpolar north

Acquisition

Forage

Traditional remedies in HerbSense

Key benefits

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Traditional pain relief

Eases minor aches

Supports fever comfort

Rich in salicin

Traditional uses

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Long before willow bark became famous as the plant that gave the world aspirin, circumpolar peoples across Alaska, Canada, and Greenland were already chewing the bitter inner bark of Arctic willow to ease headaches, sore joints, and the ache of a fever. In a landscape with almost no other woody plants to draw on, this ground-hugging little shrub did double duty, its supple stems twisted into cordage and snares, its bark and buds turned to for pain relief when nothing else was at hand. Willow bark's use for pain reaches back to ancient Egypt and Greece as well, and Arctic willow carries that same salicin-rich chemistry into one of the harshest climates on Earth. It stands as a quiet reminder that even in the treeless tundra, the old remedies still found a way to grow.

Growing guide

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Sun

Full sun. This is a plant of open, exposed tundra with no tolerance for shade.

Soil

Lean, gritty, sharply drained soil, gravelly or rocky by nature. It has no patience for rich or waterlogged ground.

Water

Light and infrequent. It is used to a short growing season fed by snowmelt, followed by dry, well-drained conditions.

Planting

Best suited to alpine troughs, rock gardens, and cold-climate landscapes (roughly zones 1 through 6), where it makes a slow, ground-hugging carpet. Propagate from cuttings taken in the growing season, as seed is fussy and short-lived.

Fresh to dried

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Harvest

Strip thin peels of inner bark from young stems in spring, when the sap is running and the bark lifts away easily.

Drying

Lay the bark strips in a single layer in a warm, airy, shaded spot until they turn brittle and snap cleanly.

Storage

Keep the dried bark in an airtight glass jar away from light and heat, where it will hold its potency for about a year.

Best forms

Dried inner bark, prepared as a simmered decoction rather than a quick steeped tea, since bark needs more coaxing to release its compounds.

Traditional preparations

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Featured preparation

Willow Bark Decoction

The traditional way to draw the salicin out of tough, fibrous bark, used historically for occasional headaches and minor aches.

How it's made. Traditionally, a decoction is made by simmering 1 teaspoon of dried inner bark in 250 ml of water for 10 to 15 minutes, then straining and sipping while warm.

Secondary preparation

Willow Bark and Honey Tea

A gentler, more palatable version of the decoction, softened with honey to offset the bark's natural bitterness.

How it's made. Strain a standard willow bark decoction as above, stir in a small spoonful of honey once cooled slightly, and sip slowly.

Pairs well with

✦Meadowsweet
✦Ginger
✦Peppermint

Substitutes

✦White willow bark (Salix alba)
✦Meadowsweet

Choose it when

“When the cold outlasts every other green thing, willow still holds on.”

Did you know?

Arctic willow is one of the northernmost woody plants on the planet, found growing as far north as 83 degrees latitude in Greenland, closer to the North Pole than almost any other shrub or tree manages to survive.

Safety

Willow bark contains salicin, which the body converts into aspirin-like compounds, so it carries the same cautions: avoid with a salicylate allergy, blood thinners, ulcers, or in pregnancy. Children and teens recovering from a viral illness should avoid it due to the risk of Reye's syndrome.