Chamerion angustifolium (L.) Holub
Fireweed
Fireweed is a North American native plant. It is a robust colonizer of newly exposed land, such as that left behind from forest fires, and can carpet huge areas with its brilliant pink flowers. Identification: Plants reach 20-98" (50-250 cm) in height, with a single, erect stem that reddens later in the season, sometimes branching to multiple flower spikes. Spikes are 4-10" (10-25 cm) long, with pink flowers about ½" (1.3 cm) in diameter, each with four petals. Leaves have smooth edges, and are long and narrow, tapering to sharp tips. The leaf veins form distinctive circular loops. Seed pods are reddish-brown, about 1½" (3.8 cm) long, splitting and curling when dry to expose silken fibers and about 80,000 seeds per plant. Edibility: Although young shoots and flowers are edible, young plants are easily confused with several highly toxic members of the lily family, so we don’t recommend that you experiment. Online References:
Chamerion angustifolium at Illinois Wildflowers Chamerion angustifolium at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Chamerion angustifolium on troymullens.wordpress.com Chamerion angustifolium on Wikipedia Chamerion angustifolium on the USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database Chamerion angustifolium on SEINet—the Southwest Environmental Information Network 8/26/2007 · Fogarty Creek, Lincoln City, Oregon 9/27/2013 · Gordon and Kathy’s, Prospect, Maine 8/16/2014 · White Mountains, New Hampshire 7/15/2012 · Fort Point State Park, Stockton Springs, Maine 7/15/2012 · Fort Point State Park, Stockton Springs, Maine 9/1/2007 · Mt. St. Helens, Washington 8/2/2008 · Bar Harbor, Maine 7/15/2012 · Fort Point State Park, Stockton Springs, Maine Chamerion angustifolium description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020. © FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved. |
7/15/2012 · Fort Point State Park, Stockton Springs, Maine 8/16/2014 · White Mountains, New Hampshire 8/25/2007 · Tillamook State Forest, Oregon 8/16/2014 · White Mountains, New Hampshire 7/15/2012 · Fort Point State Park, Stockton Springs, Maine 8/16/2014 · White Mountains, New Hampshire 8/16/2014 · White Mountains, New Hampshire 9/2/2007 · Oregon 9/20/2009 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine 7/15/2012 · Fort Point State Park, Stockton Springs, Maine 9/20/2009 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine 9/27/2013 · Gordon and Kathy’s, Prospect, Maine Range:
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