Tall Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium)
Observation: Went out to the coop last night to herd the ducks inside for the evening. One was trapped outside of the chicken run in the fireweed. I went around the back of the coop to extract her and realized for the first time just how tall the fireweed has grown. It's well over 8 feet tall and still growing vigorously. Not sure if its the fertilizer :) or the longer growing season, or both. What I do know is that the fireweed is massive, robust, and pushing up hard against the sides of the fence.
LEO says: USDA Forest Service - Fireweed is a tall showy wildflower that grows from sea level to the subalpine zone. A colorful sight in many parts of the country, fireweed thrives in open meadows, along streams, roadsides, and forest edges. In some places, this species is so abundant that it can carpet entire meadows with brilliant pink flowers. Fireweed was important to native people around the world. Choice patches of fireweed were even owned by high-ranking families in British Columbia. Tea was made from the leaves. High in vitamins A and C, fireweed shoots provided a tasty spring vegetable. Flowers yield copious nectar that yield a rich, spicy honey. Today, fireweed honey, jelly, and syrup are popular in Alaska where this species grows in abundance. By Edna Vizgirdas (M. Tcheripanoff)
Resource:
- Vegetation Map and Classification: Northern, Western, and Interior Alaska (Second Edition - 2016) - This guide describes the component landcover classes of the Vegetation Map for Northern, Western, and Interior Alaska developed by the Alaska Center for Conservation Science (ACCS). The landcover map represents the best-available data derived from 18 regional landcover maps that have been developed within the last 31 years... (Alaska Natural Heritage Program Alaska Center for conservation Science, University of Alaska Anchorage)
