Downy Willow (Salix lapponum)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Vascular plant > flowering plant > Shrub/sub-shrub |
| Red List Status: | Vulnerable (Not Relevant) [VU(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | Included in the baseline Red List Index for England (Wilkins, Wilson & Brown, 2022) |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | (none) |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Salix lapponum |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | L. |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | in Stroh et al., 2014 |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Assessed as CR in England by Stroh et al. 2014 on the basis of there being less than 50 native individuals, this species occurs in three localities on Helvelyn in the English Lake District - Brown Cove, Red Tarn Cove and Nethermost Cove. At one point, there were less than 23 bushes, all female. Led by Simon Webb of Natural England, cuttings from these plants and male plants from southern Scotland have been planted out on Helvellyn. As of 2022, there were 1,500 plants on Helvellyn, and planting has now started at Mardale (Haweswater). The species has also been planted inside an enclosure on Knock Fell (Upper Teesdale). |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Species currently relies on planting of cuttings to increase population size to a point where it is self-sustaining. This has started to happen at Helvellyn, but additional sites are needed to secure future of the species. |
| Question 3: | At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | If self-sustaining populations can be achieved, there is potential for colonisation of new sites in the area if they are being managed favourably with appropriate minimal levels of grazing from both livestock and wild herbivores (deer), as seed is dispersed long distances by the wind. |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 6. Recovery solutions trialled |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Medium-high |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Structured - sufficient |
| Species Comments: |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Continue programme of reintroduction on Helvellyn, using material from both local and near-local plants, to achieve self-sustaining populations. Ensure monitoring picks up survival rate of cuttings and evidence of seedling establishment.
Action targets: 6. Recovery solutions trialled
Action type: (Re-)introduction
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 10 sites
High priority sites: Helvellyn
Comments:
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Extend programme of reintroduction to 3-5 other suitable sites in the Lake District, including Mardale, to increase the area of montane willow scrub.
Action targets: 7. Best approach adopted at appropriate scales
Action type: Habitat creation
Duration: >10 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites: Mardale, plus 3-4 others tbc
Comments: Sites must be managed appropriately to allow the development of willow scrub, and other Salix species native to the Lake District should be considered (e.g. S. myrsinifolia, S. phylicifolia and S. herbacea)
Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.