Fireweed

Chamaenerion angustifolium

Pollinator Value

Proximity Score: 0
Native Status: ❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: Local
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
Rarity Notes: Globally secure (G5) and nationally secure in Canada (N5). Not listed under SARA. Ranked S5 in Ontario and SNR in Quebec. Widespread across North America with massive specimen collections in both provinces.
S22 S26 S48
Rarity Ranks: QC SNR – Not Ranked, ON S5 – Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: Fireweed is a classic pioneer of disturbed habitats across the boreal and northern temperate zones. It thrives on burned-over ground, clearings, roadsides, gravel pits, and woodland edges. In the Ottawa Valley region, it occurs in dry forests of aspen and jack pine, open fields, upper shores, and rocky ground, frequently colonizing recently burned areas where it blooms profusely within months of fire. It also grows in rather wet places including old sphagnum bogs. The species is common throughout Ontario with 65 preserved specimens from ecoregion 5.2.3 alone.
S7 S48

Roles: Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Pollinator Attractor: S73 [MEDIUM]: S68 94 bee associations (threshold=3)]
Notes: Fireweed pairs well with early-successional grasses and forbs in restoration plantings. Its vigorous rhizomatous spread and pioneer colonizing behaviour make it useful for stabilizing disturbed soils alongside native grasses. Tolerates juglone conditions, enabling planting near black walnut.
S3 S29

Category: Antispasmodic, Astringent, Demulcent, Emollient, Anti-inflammatory, Laxative
S29 multiple medicinal categories documented
Notes: Used in traditional herbal medicine as an antispasmodic, astringent, demulcent, emollient, and laxative. In Germany and Austria, the plant is used to treat prostate problems. A poultice of leaves is applied to mouth ulcers, and leaf extracts show anti-inflammatory activity. Tea from leaves and roots is a folk remedy for dysentery and abdominal cramps. Health Canada lists it as an approved herbal medicinal ingredient.
S29 S36

✅ Edible

Foraging Notes: Multiple parts are edible but of variable quality. Young spring shoots are the most valued component, eaten raw or cooked as an asparagus substitute. Leaves can be used in salads when young. Flowers and buds are the most palatable elements. Roots are sweet in spring but often fibrous. A tea made from dried leaves (kaporie tea) is traditional in Russia. Oxalates in leaves may cause mild irritation when eaten raw.
S29