# Broad-leaved Willowherb (*Epilobium montanum*)

Broad-leaved Willowherb is a tall plant with beautiful pink flowers that bloom in summer. It loves to grow in sunny places like meadows and along roadsides, making it a cheerful sight!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Meadows

![Broad-leaved Willowherb](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Dettaglio_-_Onagrarieae_Epilobium_montanum_Lin._Erbario_Frizzi_Perugia_n._2573.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Giuseppe Frizzi, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dettaglio_-_Onagrarieae_Epilobium_montanum_Lin._Erbario_Frizzi_Perugia_n._2573.jpg)

## Appearance

The Broad-leaved Willowherb has slender stems with distinctive opposing, broad, oval-to-lance-shaped leaves. Its small, four-petaled flowers are typically pinkish-purple, often deeply notched, and grow in the leaf axils towards the top of the plant, making it easy to spot.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Myrtales
- **Family:** Onagraceae
- **Genus:** Epilobium

## Interesting facts

- Broad-leaved Willowherb is a wild cousin of the beautiful Evening Primrose, sharing the same plant family!
- Its name 'Willowherb' comes from its leaves, which look surprisingly similar to those of a willow tree!
- The plant's long seed pods split open to release seeds that float away like tiny feathery dandelion parachutes!
- Young shoots and leaves are edible and can be cooked like spinach, making it a wild snack!

## Special abilities

- **Parachute Seeds:** Broad-leaved Willowherb can spread far and wide by having tiny seeds equipped with silky hairs, acting like parachutes to catch the wind.
- **Underground Navigator:** Broad-leaved Willowherb can grow new plants from creeping underground stems (rhizomes), allowing it to colonize new areas quickly.
- **Disturbance Dynamo:** Broad-leaved Willowherb has a super ability to quickly sprout and thrive in disturbed areas, like roadsides or recently cleared land.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-100 cm
- **Spread:** 20-50 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — visits flowers for nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed Bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — gathers nectar and pollen from blooms
- **Pollinates:** [Red Admiral](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-admiral) (*Vanessa atalanta*) — sips nectar from its small flowers

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch plants you don't know, as some can be prickly or cause allergies.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Broad-leaved Willowherb?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Broad-leaved Willowherb?

30-100 cm

### How wide does Broad-leaved Willowherb spread?

20-50 cm

### How big are the flowers on Broad-leaved Willowherb?

1-2 cm

### When does Broad-leaved Willowherb bloom?

Summer

### Is Broad-leaved Willowherb edible?

Yes

### Is Broad-leaved Willowherb toxic?

None

### What is Broad-leaved Willowherb's lifecycle?

Perennial

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Broad-leaved Willowherb: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/broad-leaved-willowherb)