Thursday, April 14, 2011

Thursday Thirteen – The Smallest Tree in the World

1. Salix herbacea is also called Dwarf Willow, Least Willow, or Snowbed Willow.

2. It is a tiny creeper which grows to only 1-6 centimeters in height.







3. Technically, it is merely one of the smallest woody plants on Earth!

4. The roughly circular leaves are 1-2 centimeters long and wide and appear shiny green.

5. The scientific family of the plant is called Salicaceae, which covers a broad group of flowering plants.

6. As the family grouping suggests, the Dwarf Willow does flower.

7. These flowers are called catkins, which do not have petals.

8. Like all willows, the plants are considered either female or male.

9. Catkins on the male plant appear yellow while they are red on the female version.









10. They live at over 1,500 meters in the southern range of their sub-Arctic habitat.

11. The tiny fellows can also be found at sea level in the Arctic.

12. Widely distributed on both sides of the North Atlantic, the miniscule plants thrive in tundra and rocky moorland.

13. This tree would make an instant and easy Bonsai!

10 comments:

  1. Hmmm... This is quite interesting. My favorite name listed here is the "Snowbed Willow". It's so evocative! :)

    Happy TT!

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  2. Very cool! Really enjoyed your TT. :)

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  3. Cute little things, aren't they? There a few upcoming guided walks on wild flowers at the Arboretum I am looking forward to, so don't be surprised if there are a few "botanical" posts on my blog in the near future. *G*

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  4. That's a tree? And here I was expecting a bonsai or something.

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  5. What a tiny tree. I've got crabgrass that's bigger than that tree!

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  6. That is fascinating! Maybe I could grow one in my apartment and ... No, I'd probably kill that too. Sigh.

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  7. Do they grow in Alpine areas at all? Like, by me?

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  8. Ooooh very cool.
    I have a black thumb, so I admire anyone who has ability when it comes to plants.

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  9. Dears, thanks for the fun comments. And Bratty, Alpine areas sound ideal.

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