''Salix helvetica'', the Swiss willow, is a scrubby willow species found in the Alps (from 1700 to 2700m) and the Tatras portion of the western Carpathians (from 1600 to 2000m). It is a naturally dwarf, erect shrub, growing to tall and broad, with silvery undersides on the leaves, and silvery

catkin A catkin or ament is a slim, cylindrical flower cluster (a spike), with inconspicuous or no petals, usually wind-pollinated (anemophilous) but sometimes insect-pollinated (as in ''Salix''). They contain many, usually unisexual flowers, arranged cl ...

s appearing with the leaves. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

References

helvetica Flora of Middle Europe Flora of Southwestern Europe Flora of Southeastern Europe Plants described in 1789 {{salicaceae-stub