Bloomipedia
Fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium)
Photo: jsparrell via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Fireweed

Chamaenerion angustifolium

Fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium) is a flowering plant in the Onagraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly July–August across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Fireweed is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 14 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in July–August.

8states where USDA records it
14Bloomipedia state lists include it
53,267U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026. Our state lists also include states where people grow it in gardens, so they can outnumber USDA's wild-plant records.

On our lists for: Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming

Quick look

Chamaenerion angustifolium is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the willowherb family, Onagraceae. It is known in North America as fireweed and in the British Isles as both fireweed and rosebay willowherb. It is also known by the taxonomic synonyms Chamerion angustifolium and Epilobium angustifolium. It is native throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere, including large parts of the boreal forests.

  • It belongs to the Onagraceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 8 states. USDA PLANTS
  • In Washington, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. iNaturalist
  • In Colorado, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–August. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as purple. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late summer. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 5.5 ft. USDA PLANTS
  • iNaturalist has 8,488 research-grade sightings of it in Washington, ranking #9 among the 187 flowers on our Washington list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 8,225 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #4 among the 160 flowers on our Colorado list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 6,573 research-grade sightings of it in Alaska, ranking #1 among the 121 flowers on our Alaska list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (13,497 records)
Bloom time in the 14 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
WashingtonNativeJune–August8,488
ColoradoNativeJuly–August8,225
AlaskaNativeJuly–August6,573
OregonNativeJune–August5,336
MontanaNativeJuly–August2,486
WyomingNativeJuly–August2,447
MinnesotaNativeJuly–August2,263
UtahNativeJuly–August1,629
IdahoNativeJuly–August1,581
MaineNativeJuly–August1,283
New MexicoNativeJuly–August955
South DakotaNativeJuly–August495
New HampshireNativeJuly–August491
West VirginiaNativeJuly–August398

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
State rare plant lists
Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 5 of our 14 states.
See each state
Oregon
Not listed Not on Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oregon. OAR 603-073-0070
Minnesota
Not listed Not on Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Minnesota. Minn. R. 6134.0300
Maine
Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. Maine rare plant list
New Mexico
Not listed Not on New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Mexico. 19.21.2.9 NMAC
New Hampshire
Not listed Not on New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Hampshire. NH Ncr 312
Washington
No list Washington has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the Washington Natural Heritage Program's rare plant list isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Washington ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Washington.
Colorado
No list Colorado has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Colorado ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Colorado.
Alaska
No list Alaska has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alaska ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alaska.
Montana
No list Montana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Montana ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Montana.
Wyoming
No list Wyoming has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Wyoming ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Wyoming.
Utah
No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Utah.
Idaho
No list Idaho has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Idaho ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Idaho.
South Dakota
No list South Dakota's endangered and threatened list (ARSD 41:10:02) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's South Dakota ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Dakota.
West Virginia
No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in West Virginia.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: IN (S1), OH (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “Young shoot tips, flower stalks and leaves can be cooked and eaten. a tea with a sweet taste can be made from its dried leaves.” NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records fireweed in 8 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, Colorado, Indiana, Minnesota, Montana, New York, Washington, Wyoming.

Washington counties with USDA records: Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Columbia, Cowlitz, Douglas, Grant, Grays Harbor, Island, King, Kittitas, Klickitat, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Spokane, Stevens, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Whatcom, Whitman, Yakima.

Alaska counties with USDA records: Aleutians East, Aleutians West, Anchorage, Bethel, Chugach, Copper River, Denali, Dillingham, Fairbanks North Star, Juneau, Kenai Peninsula, Ketchikan Gateway, Kodiak Island, Lake and Peninsula, Matanuska-Susitna, Nome, North Slope, Northwest Arctic, Sitka, Southeast Fairbanks, Yakutat, Yukon-Koyukuk.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Fireweed a medium shade tolerance, low drought tolerance and high moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 4.8 to 7.0 and winter lows down to -38 °F.

Shade tolerance
Medium
Drought tolerance
Low
Moisture use
High
Soil textures it is adapted to
coarse, medium, fine
Soil pH range
4.8 to 7.0
Minimum temperature tolerated
-38 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum)
90
Annual precipitation range
8 to 55 inches
Minimum root depth
10 inches
Salinity tolerance
None
Fertility requirement
Medium
Growth rate
Rapid
Lifespan
Moderate
Active growth period
Spring, Summer, Fall
Fruit or seed
Brown · Fall to Fall
Can be propagated by
seed
Commercial availability
No Known Source

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for CHANA2. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Alaska: Native; Canada: Native; Greenland: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Chamerion spicatum, Epilobium angustifolium, Epilobium spicatum.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 137 counties across 7 states; the most are in Minnesota (38), Montana (34), Washington (28).

Other Chamaenerion on Bloomipedia (1): Dwarf fireweed.

More from the Onagraceae family (19 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Pinkladies, California fuchsia, Common evening-primrose, Broadleaf enchanter's nightshade, Elegant clarkia, Cutleaf evening primrose, Sun cup, Fragrant evening primrose.

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Sources