fireweed

Close-up of the flowers of fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium).

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fireweed, (Chamaenerion angustifolium), attractive perennial wildflower, abundant on newly cleared and burned areas. Its spikes of whitish to magenta flowers, which grow up to 1.5 meters (5 feet) high, can be a spectacular sight on prairies of the north temperate zone. Like those of many weedy plants, its seeds can lie dormant for many years in the soil seed bank, awaiting the warmth necessary for germination. Fireweed is one of the first plants to appear after a wildfire; it also rapidly covers scrub or woodland areas that have been cleared by machine.

Fireweed has limited use in wild gardens, where it must be carefully checked and confined. The willowlike young shoots and leaves can be cooked and eaten. The taxonomy of the plant has been contentious, and the name Chamaenerion angustifolium is considered synonymous with Epilobium angustifolium.