Fireweed

Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium), formerly Epilobium angustifolium, is a tall herbaceous perennial in the evening-primrose family (Onagraceae). It is one of the most recognisable wildflowers in Banff National Park; colonising burned forests and disturbed sites with spectacular pink-purple spikes.

Identification: Tall (0.5–2.5 m); lance-shaped leaves; long, narrow spike of four-petaled pink-purple flowers in summer; fluffy white seeds in fall. Flowers open from bottom to top. Named for its rapid colonisation of burned areas.

Habitat: Montane to alpine; burned or disturbed sites, roadsides, meadows, and forest edges. Often the first plant to establish after fire; “fireweed” reflects this. Blooms mid-July to August.

Ecology: Important nectar source for bees and butterflies; seeds dispersed by wind. Young shoots and leaves are edible (high in vitamin C); Indigenous peoples used stems for cordage. Do not pick in the park.