Plant Data
Sheet
Species (common name,
Latin name) – Fireweed or rosebay
willowherb - Epilobium angustifolium or Chamaenerion angulstifoium, Chamerion
danielsii, Chamerion platyphyllum.
Range -
Fireweed occurs throughout the US except in the southeastern states and
Texas. It is found in all of the
Canadian provinces. It also occurs throughout Eurasia (and is the national
flower of Russia).
Climate, elevation
– In
North America, fireweed occurs in maritime to strongly continental climates with
short, warm summers and long, cold winters. Precipitation averages between 13 and
134.7 inches a year o the west coastal edge.
Local occurrence (where,
how common) – The species of interest
is common throughout the Pacific Northwest, but only locally abundant on the
outer coast.
Habitat preferences
-
Fireweed inhabits a wide range of site and soil conditions (moist to dry), but
it is most common in disturbed areas such as burned forests and swamps,
avalanche areas, riverbars, highway and railroad rights-of-way, waste places and
old fields. It grows well in
coniferous forests, mixed forest, aspen parklands, meadows, thickets, and
grasslands.
Plant
strategy type/successional stage (stress-tolerator, competitor, weedy/colonizer,
seral, late successional) – The
species of interest is an early seral species that colonizes areas following
vegetation disturbances in temperate climates throughout the world. Once fireweed enters a disturbed
community, it rapidly becomes abundant.
The species of interest is a dominant species in many diverse riparian
and upland seral community types.
Associated species -
Fireweed often occurs with conifers such
as: black spruce, cedar, hemlock, Douglas-fir, silver fir, Jack pine, Balsam fir,
tamarack, shortleaf pine, lodgepole pine, western larch, blue sprces and Sitka
spruce. Hardwoods associated with
fireweed include: red maple, aspen,
paper birch, and oak. Common shrubs found with fireweed are snowbrush,
snowberry, thimbleberry, salmonberry, prickly rose, hoary willow, black
twinberry and common juniper.
May be collected as:
(seed, layered, divisions, etc.) – Cuttings of sideshoots
may be taken in the spring or divided in the fall. Seeds may be sown in the spring. Vegetative reproduction is more
prevalent than sexual reproduction (although the seed production is very
prolific). Shoots sprouting from
rhizomes may bloom within 1 month!
Fragmentation of rhizomes stimulates shoot production.
Collection restrictions or guidelines -
none
Seed germination (needs
dormancy breaking?) – Seeds are nondormant and
germinate over a variety of temperatures.
Most of the newly collected seeds germinate within 10 days.
Seed life (can be stored,
short shelf-life, long shelf-life) – One plant of fireweed can
produce about 80,000 seeds per year! The seedbank of fireweed is not
long-lived. Most seeds lose
viability after 18-24 months. The
seed hairs (plume) respond to humidity.
As humidity increases, the plume diameter decreases, resulting in a
reduced loft. This increases the
chance that seeds are deposited in places with moisture adequate for
germination.
Recommended seed storage conditions - Seed can be stored for up to 24
months in dry conditions.
Propagation
recommendations (plant seeds, vegetative parts, cuttings, etc.) –
While
seed production is very high, fireweed reproduces predominately through
vegetative means. Cuttings and
seeds are both effective means to plant fireweed. Optimum seed germinating
conditions are warm, well-lighted, and humid. This plant is very aggressive!
Soil or medium
requirements (inoculum necessary?) – Fireweed may be grown in
well-drained, moist soil but they establish best with the addition of
fertilizer. They grow best in full
sun, but will tolerate some shade.
Installation form (form,
potential for successful outcomes, cost) – Seeds or cuttings. Root cuttings should be planted 5 cm
deep.
Recommended planting density – If you absolutely want to grow
fireweed, I would recommend that you do not grow very much (just a few
cuttings). Due to its rapid
reproduction rate, it is sure to spread.
Care requirements after
installed (water weekly, water once etc.) – Moderate to no watering
after it is established.
Normal rate of growth or
spread; lifespan – While fireweed is grown
as an ornamental, it can become an aggressive weed since it reproduces by both
seed and rhizome.
Sources
cited
Pojar, J. and A.
MacKinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest
Coast: Washington, Oregon, British
Columbia and Alaska. B.C.
Ministry of Forests and Lone Pine Publishing. Vancouver, British Columbia.
Jacobson, A.L. 2001. Wild plants of Greater Seattle: A field guide to native and naturalized
plants of the Seattle area. Arthur
Lee Jacobson Publisher. Seattle,
Washington.
USDA, FEIS 2002.
www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/forb/epiang/
www.rook.org/earl/bwca/nature/herbs/chamerionan.html
Data compiled by (student
name and date) – Daniela Shebitz –
April 16, 2003