Polar Bear Willow
Salix salicola 'Polar Bear'
Height: 12 feet
Spread: 10 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 2b
Description:
A stunning tall accent shrub featuring powdery silver-blue foliage and fuzzy silver stems all summer long, glimmers white in the sun; an excellent choice for foliage color contrast in the landscape, extremely adaptable and very hardy
Ornamental Features
Polar Bear Willow has attractive silvery blue foliage with silver undersides which emerges silver in spring on a plant with an oval habit of growth. The fuzzy oval leaves are highly ornamental but do not develop any appreciable fall colour.
Landscape Attributes
Polar Bear Willow is an open multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a shapely oval form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.
This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Polar Bear Willow is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Accent
- Mass Planting
- Hedges/Screening
- Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
Planting & Growing
Polar Bear Willow will grow to be about 12 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.
This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It is an amazingly adaptable plant, tolerating both dry conditions and even some standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. It is particular about its soil conditions, with a strong preference for clay, alkaline soils. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selection of a native North American species.
