Salix repens

Salix repens
S. repens in flower
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Salicaceae
Genus: Salix
Species:
S. repens
Binomial name
Salix repens
Synonyms
  • Biggina argentea Raf.
  • Diplima arenaria Raf.
  • Salix adscendens Sm.
  • Salix argentea Dum.Cours.
  • Salix decumbens Schleich. ex J.Forbes
  • Salix fusca L.
  • Salix litoralis Host
  • Salix parvifolia Sm.
  • Salix pratensis Host
  • Salix repens var. latifolia Neilr.
  • Salix subalpina Schleich. ex J.Forbes
  • Salix tenuis Host
  • Salix versicolor J.Forbes

Salix repens, the creeping willow, is a small, shrubby species of willow in the family Salicaceae, growing up to 1.5 metres in height. Found amongst sand dunes and heathlands, it is a polymorphic species, with a wide range of variants. In the UK, at least, these range from small, prostrate, hairless plants at one end of the spectrum to taller, erect or ascending silky-leaved shrubs at the other. This wide variation in form has resulted in numerous synonyms.