Chamerion angustifolium (Fireweed)

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Chamerion angustifolium (L.) Holub

Fireweed

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Rosidae	Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order	Myrtales	Includes myrtles, leadwoods, loosestrifes, pomegranates, evening primroses, many others
Family	Onagraceae	Willowherb/evening primrose family
Genus	Chamerion	From the Greek chamai, “dwarf,” and nerion, “oleander,” this is apparently a name that has replaced the invalid name Chamaenerion published by Seguier in 1754
Species	angustifolium	Having narrow foliage

About plant names...

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.

Plants: 1½-8′ (50-250 cm) in height, with a single, erect stem that reddens later in the season, sometimes branching to multiple flower spikes.

Leaves: Leaves are 2½-6″ (7-15 cm) long, with smooth edges, and are long and narrow, tapering to sharp tips. The leaf veins form distinctive circular loops.

Flowers: Flower spikes are 4-10″ (10-25 cm) long, with pink flowers about ½″ (1.3 cm) in diameter, each with four petals.

Fruits: 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.

Fireweed has a dwarf sibling with similar-appearing flowers:

8/26/2007 · Fogarty Creek, Lincoln City, Oregon

9/27/2013 · Gordon and Kathy’s, Prospect, Maine · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (47 × 31 cm)

8/16/2014 · White Mountains, New Hampshire · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 21 cm)

	You are here Chamerion angustifolium
Common Name	fireweed
Plant	1½-8′ (50-250 cm) in height, with a single, erect stem that reddens later in the season, sometimes branching to multiple flower spikes.
Flowers	Flower spikes are 4-10″ (10-25 cm) long, with pink flowers about ½″ (1.3 cm) in diameter, each with four petals.
Leaves	2½-6″ (7-15 cm) long, with smooth edges, and are long and narrow, tapering to sharp tips. The leaf veins form distinctive circular loops.
Fruit	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.
Range/ Zones	USDA Zones: 2-7
Habitats	Newly exposed land, such as that left behind from forest fires
Type	Wild

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:

Illinois Wildflowers

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Troymullens.wordpress.com

Wikipedia

The USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database

SEINet—the Southwest Environmental Information Network

7/15/2012 · Fort Point State Park, Stockton Springs, Maine · ≈ 17 × 12″ (44 × 29 cm)

7/15/2012 · Fort Point State Park, Stockton Springs, Maine

9/1/2007 · Mt. St. Helens, Washington

8/2/2008 · Bar Harbor, Maine · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 14 cm)

7/15/2012 · Fort Point State Park, Stockton Springs, Maine · ≈ 9 × 14″ (23 × 35 cm)

7/15/2012 · Fort Point State Park, Stockton Springs, Maine · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 9.2 cm)

8/16/2014 · White Mountains, New Hampshire · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm)

8/25/2007 · Tillamook State Forest, Oregon

8/16/2014 · White Mountains, New Hampshire · ≈ 10 × 15″ (25 × 37 cm)

Chamerion angustifolium description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 31 Aug 2021.

7/15/2012 · Fort Point State Park, Stockton Springs, Maine · ≈ 6 × 9″ (15 × 23 cm)

8/16/2014 · White Mountains, New Hampshire · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 21 cm)

8/16/2014 · White Mountains, New Hampshire · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 12 cm)

9/2/2007 · Oregon

9/20/2009 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine · ≈ 8 × 12″ (20 × 31 cm)

7/15/2012 · Fort Point State Park, Stockton Springs, Maine · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (17 × 11 cm)

11/18/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 14 cm)

9/20/2009 · Wild Gardens of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine · ≈ 10 × 15″ (26 × 39 cm)

9/27/2013 · Gordon and Kathy’s, Prospect, Maine · ≈ 11 × 7″ (28 × 18 cm)

Range: Zones 2-7:

About this map...