Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium)

Other names Great Willow Herb, Red Fireweed, Wickup

At a glance

Lifecycle: Perennial (hardy)
Exposure: Full sun
Frost limit: −40 °C

Cultivation

An easily grown plant, it prefers a well-drained but moisture retentive soil in a sunny position. Plants are hardy to at least -20°c. The rosebay willowherb spreads vigorously by means of a creeping rhizome, and often forms large patches. A very ornamental plant. A food plant for the caterpillars of several lepidoptera species.

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in situ or as soon as the seed is ripe. This plant is more than capable of finding its own way into most gardens and does not usually require an invitation. Division in spring or autumn. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Edible uses

Leaves and young shoot tips - raw or cooked. Young shoots - cooked. They make a good asparagus substitute. Root - raw, cooked or dried and ground into a powder. Flower stalks - raw or cooked. The pith of young or older stems - raw or cooked. A tea is made from the dried leaves.

Medicinal uses

Willow herb is often used as a domestic herbal remedy, though it is little used in conventional herbalism. The herb is antispasmodic, astringent, demulcent, emollient, hypnotic, laxative and tonic. A tea made from the leaves and roots is a folk remedy for dysentery and abdominal cramps. A poultice made from the peeled roots is applied to burns, skin sores, swellings, boils etc.

Material uses

A fibre obtained from the outer stems is used to make cordage. The 'cottony' seed hairs are used as a stuffing material. The powdered inner cortex is applied to the hands and face to give protection from the cold.

Habitat

Rocky ground, waste areas, woodland edges and gardens.

Native range

Europe, including Britain, temperate Asia and N. America.

Scientific synonyms Chamaenerion angustifolium