Fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium)

Fireweed is a tall herbaceous perennial known for its showy racemes of deep pink/magenta flowers, which attract bees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators, and are valued by beekeepers. As this fast-growing perennial can grow up to 8' tall, and spreads vigorously through rhizomes, it may be unsuitable for smaller gardens. However, it is a fantastic plant for wildflower meadows, pollinator plantings, and wilder parts of the garden, where the creeping rhizomes are free to roam around. Thanks to fireweed's ability to become quickly established on disturbed land, it is useful in land management for re-establishing vegetation in areas that have been left barren by logging or fire, preventing erosion with its root system, and providing food and habitat for insects and other wildlife. For smaller gardens, consider growing fireweed's smaller relative, river beauty, instead.

Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil & Moisture: Moist to dry soil
Mature Size: Up to 8' tall in ideal conditions, rhizomatous, fast growing
Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer
Edible: yes (shoots, leaves)
Wildlife Value: Loved by pollinators including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Moth host plant. Attracts beneficial insects. Provides cover, nesting sites and nesting materials. Browsed by elk and deer.
Native Range & Habitat: Open slopes, meadows, forest edges and clearings, and disturbed areas; particularly prolific in burned sites. Native throughout much of the northern hemisphere; widespread from Alaska to California and east to the Atlantic Coast at low to high elevations.
Other Names: Epilobium angustifolium, Chamerion angustifolium