Site Map |

Search MNAP:

MNAP Activities

• Ecological Inventory and Monitoring
• Communities, Plants, and Animals
  • Natural Communities and Ecosystems
  • Rare Plants
    • Rare Plant List and Plant Fact Sheets
    • Rare Plant Field Form and Instructions
    • Rarity Rank Explanations
  • Invasive Plants
  • Rare Animals
  • Survey Forms
• Maine's Ecological Reserve System
• Focus Areas
• Beginning with Habitat
• Landowner Incentive Program
• Technical Assistance
• Outreach

MNAP Information

• Overview and Mission
• Legislation
• FAQs
• Staff

(Printer Friendly Version-pdf-123 KB)

(Download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Salix uva-ursi Pursh

Bearberry Willow

State Rank: S1

Global Rank: G5

State Status: Threatened

Habitat: Barrens and alpine areas. [Alpine or subalpine (non-forested, upland)]

Range: Greenland and Baffin Island, south to the mountains of Maine, New Hampshire, and New York.

Aids to Identification: Willows are recognized by their winter buds and flowers. Their buds are covered by a single cap-like scale. Their flowers are very small and are borne in catkins. Identification of willows is complicated by the fact that these plants are dioecious - the staminate and carpellate flowers are borne on separate plants. S. uva-ursi, a prostrate alpine willow, has elliptic leaves which have a thin coating of whitish bloom on the undersurface and are serrate or crenate with gland-tipped teeth. The catkins are 1-4 cm long, and the scales are brown with black tips. Fruits are numerous, conic shaped, 3-4 mm, and glabrous (without hairs).

Ecological characteristics: In Maine, this species is known to occur above treeline on rocky outcrops and gravel.

Phenology: Flowers June - August.

Family: Salicaceae

Synonyms: Former names include Salix cutleri Tuckerman.

Known Distribution in Maine: This rare plant has been documented from a total of 2 town(s) in the following county(ies): Piscataquis, Somerset.

Dates of documented observations are: 1847, 1980, 1983, 1989, 1997, 2000

Reason(s) for rarity: At southern limit of range.

Conservation considerations: Populations could be threatened by heavy recreational (hiking) use.

Maine.gov | Department of Conservation | Bureau of Geology and Natural Areas (BOGANA) | Site Policies