# fireweed (*Chamaenerion angustifolium*) Fireweed is a beautiful flower that grows tall and has bright pink petals. It often blooms in fields and along roadsides, making the world a little more colorful! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 50 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![fireweed](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Chamerion_angustifolium_-_Fireweed_01.jpg&width=800) Photo: Zeynel Cebeci, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chamerion_angustifolium_-_Fireweed_01.jpg) ## Appearance The fireweed is a tall plant with striking magenta-pink flowers that bloom in a conical spire, opening from bottom to top. Its narrow, lance-shaped green leaves are arranged spirally on the stem, making it stand out in clearings. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Myrtales - **Family:** Onagraceae - **Genus:** Chamaenerion ## Interesting facts - Fireweed produces delicious honey, making bee colonies strong and healthy! - In some places, you can tell how much summer is left by how many fireweed flowers have opened! - Its light, fluffy seeds were once gathered and used as soft pillow stuffing! - Young fireweed shoots taste like asparagus and are a tasty wild edible! ## Special abilities - **Fire Pioneer:** Fireweed can quickly grow in areas after a forest fire, helping the soil heal and other plants return. - **Wind Traveler:** Fireweed has fluffy, wind-borne seeds, allowing it to spread far and wide to colonize new spots quickly. - **Underground Spreader:** Fireweed can grow new plants from strong underground stems called rhizomes, helping it form large patches. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 50-250 cm - **Spread:** 30-90 cm - **Flower Size:** 2-4 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer to early Fall - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — gathers abundant nectar to produce honey. - **Pollinates:** Eastern Bumblebee (*Bombus terricola*) — visits its flowers, transferring pollen. - **Eaten by:** [Red Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-deer) (*Cervus elaphus*) — browses on its leaves and young shoots. ## 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. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [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. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [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 flowers without asking an adult. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify fireweed? 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 fireweed? 50-250 cm ### How wide does fireweed spread? 30-90 cm ### How big are the flowers on fireweed? 2-4 cm ### When does fireweed bloom? Summer to early Fall ### Is fireweed edible? Yes ### Is fireweed toxic? None ### What is fireweed's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Berry Botanic Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/berry-botanic-garden) — Oregon, US · Botanical Garden - [Chicken Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chicken-historic-district) — Alaska, US · Historic District - [Great Northern Railway Buildings](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/great-northern-railway-buildings) — Montana, US · Historic Site - [Illinois Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/illinois-street-historic-district) — Alaska, US · Historic District - [Independence](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/independence) — Colorado, US · Neighborhood - [Marymoor Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/marymoor-park) — Washington, US · Nature Reserve [View all places to see fireweed](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/fireweed) ## 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*) --- Source: [Fireweed: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/fireweed)