Fireweed is known botanically as Chamerion angustifolium or Epilobium angustifolium. It grows in many spots of North America, but is most common in the Pacific Northwest from Oregon through much of Alaska. It is the official flower of the Canadian Yukon.
It gets its name from its ability to sprout quickly in areas burned by wildfire, but once established it can look like a field afire with hundreds of rosy pink to purplish flowers. It grows from underground rhizomes that can survive fire and other surface disturbances in the wild.
A member of the primrose family, fireweed is also known as great willowherb. It grows five to seven feet high with tapering stocks of four-petaled flowers that bloom from the bottom up. Its long narrow leaves grow alternately on the stems.
Native Alaskans Had Many Uses for Fireweed
Fireweed is a colorful sight in many parts of Alaska where it thrives in the short, warm summers. Alaska natives reportedly ate the new shoots fresh and preserved them for use during the long, cold winters. Pacific Northwest tribes also used the inner portion of the new spring stems for food.
A number of Native peoples of the region used the peelings from the stems to make twine and fishing line.
The flowers have been used to make honey and jelly.
Bees are attracted to the bright flowers, and honey from bees feasting on fireweed is reported to be delicious.
Plant of Forest Edges and Meadows
In the Pacific Northwest, fireweed is seen throughout the summer in sunny openings and at edges of both deciduous and conifer forests, in fields, along streams, and on roadsides and disturbed areas. It is also sometimes seen in shallow freshwater marshes, where flowers are smaller and take on a more intense color.
It’s a shame its name includes the word “weed,” because the flowers can be a welcome sight where disturbed ground might otherwise look bleak.
The plants spread rapidly from the rhizomes, giving them the ability to quickly cover an area with clumps of flowers. It may be for this reason that fireweed can be considered weedy if it establishes itself where it’s not wanted; however, it is occasionally grown as an ornamental in native gardens.
Seeds Sent Aloft on Cottony Fluff
A single fireweed plant can produce thousands of seeds that are surrounded by a downy fluff that allows them to drift through the air, sometimes for long distances before settling on the ground. This fluff was used by several native peoples for padding and as a fiber for weaving.
A summer drive or walk through Pacific Northwest wilderness or rural lands is likely to reveal this colorful wildflower, often blooming in profusion.
Related Articles:
Summer-blooming Native Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest
Edible Camas Root on the Lewis and Clark Trail
Edible Wapato on the Lewis and Clark Trail
References:
Wetland Plants of the Pacific Northwest, by Fred Weinmann (and others), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District, 1984.
Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, by Jim Pojar and Andy MacKinnon, Lone Pine Publishing, Vancouver, B.C., 1994.
Wildflowers of the Columbia Gorge, by Russ Jolley, Oregon Historical Society Press, Portland, OR, 1988.
National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Pacific Northwest, by Peter Alden, Alfred A. Knopf, N.Y., 1998.
Burke Museum of Natural History and culture, Washington State Field Guides
British Columbia Outdoor Wilderness Guide at bcadventure.com
Linda McDonnell - I have been a journalist for 20 years, currently freelancing. As an outdoor and nature lover, I particularly enjoy writing about outdoor ...
