Dwarf Arctic Willow vs American Sweet Flag - TreeTime.ca

Dwarf Arctic Willow vs American Sweet Flag

Salix purpurea Nana

Acorus americanus

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Dwarf Arctic Willow
American Sweet Flag

Dwarf Arctic Willow is a beautiful ornamental shrub that attracts butterflies. It grows into a low dense, rounded shrub with slender purple stems. The Dwarf Arctic Willow has bluish-green foliage throughout the season and stunning when planted as an artistic hedge. Cold hardy and juglone tolerant, this shrub will make a nice addition to your urban garden.

American Sweet Flag is a native perennial wetland plant found along shorelines, streams, wet meadows, and marshes. Its extensive rhizome system allows it to spread and stabilise soil, helping maintain the edges of ponds and streams. This dense growth provides cover for small animals and supports overall wetland biodiversity, while the rhizomes and seeds serve as food for small mammals and waterfowl. Cold-hardy and resilient, it is well-suited for ecological restoration, riparian plantings, erosion control, and naturalization projects.

The plant grows in dense clumps with tall, sword-shaped leaves that release a citrus-like scent when bruised. The rhizomes are aromatic, with a spicy, cinnamon-like fragrance that has been used in perfumery and flavouring. In early summer, American Sweet Flag produces a distinctive floral spike (spadix), adding visual interest to wetland plantings.

Dwarf Arctic Willow Quick Facts

American Sweet Flag Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 3a
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, colony-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - high
Suckering: high


Foliage: fragrant
Flowers: yellow floral spike
Bloom time: spring to summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: yes
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, NT, PE
Other Names: dwarf blue leaf arctic willow, dwarf purple osier, purple willow, salix purpurea gracilis
Other Names: american sweetflag