Fireweed

Fireweed is often the first plant to return to burned or logged areas. Fluffy seeds fly in the wind and quickly rise up steadfast and strong. Roots form a network that stabilizes and regenerates the soil. Flowers provide nectar to pollinators and add beauty to the barren landscape. Over time, fireweed helps restore a healthy ecosystem.

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Fireweed’s (Chamaenerion angustifolium) purplish-red stems grow up to seven feet tall and are covered with willow-shaped leaves that are dark green above and silvery below, hence the common name “willow herb.” The central vein is distinctly light-colored and extends straight out to the tip of the leaf. Lateral leaf veins have a unique quality—they do not extend to the outer edge of the leaf, but loop together near the margin. This makes it easy to identify before it flowers. At the top of the stems, four-petaled purple flowers form spikes and are almost luminescent. Unlike most other flowers, they bloom low on the stem first and work their way up toward the top. Fireweed fruits are long and very narrow. They split open to release hundreds of seeds, each with a white feathery tuft that easily flies in the wind. Fireweed usually grows in large patches. Each above-ground plant may be connected to others by roots. You will find patches along roadsides, forest edges, clear-cuts, and in open fields from low to high elevations.

Fireweed seeds can be used as a fire-starter and as a cotton-like stuffing. They are so abundant on stalks that you can easily harvest a large amount from a stand of plants. Salish People wove fireweed fluff with mountain goat wool for making blankets. The fiber from the tall stems is used to make cordage. 

Eating Fireweed

Fireweed shoots are a nutritious spring food containing Vitamin C, flavonoids, and beta-carotene. They are delicious when eaten fresh or lightly cooked. Sauté them or steam them like asparagus so they still have a little crunch to them. You can detect a little mucilage—a slippery substance that makes your mouth feel smooth. Once the shoots become a little older you may want to peel the fibrous outer skin off. Try pinching young leaves off and eating them like spinach. Larger stalks can be split and the inner pith scraped out and eaten as a sweet treat. This is also high in mucilage and can be used as a thickener for soups and other dishes. Flowers can be used as a garnish and also make a tasty pink jelly.

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Fireweed Tea

Harvest fireweed leaves for tea around the time the plant flowers. Hold the stem just below the flowers with one hand, with the other, pinch the stem between your thumb and pointer finger, and push down the length of the stem, gathering the leaves that are green and vibrant looking. This way insects can enjoy the flower nectar and the plant can reseed itself. Dry the leaves in baskets or paper bags. Store in glass jars or bags and keep in a cool, dark place. They will remain potent for about a year. Use one small handful of leaves per cup of boiled water and steep for about 15 minutes. Drink 1–3 cups a day. The tea has a pleasant, mild taste and can be mixed with other herbs for flavor.

Medicine 

Fireweed is a gentle yet effective anti-inflammatory. Tannins in fireweed act as an astringent, meaning they tighten puffy tissues. Fireweed leaf tea is tonic to the digestive system—creating a healthy environment where beneficial digestive bacteria can flourish, nutrients can flow into the body, and waste products can easily move out. It has antifungal properties and helps to normalize the flora of the gut. Research shows that our guts are an important part of immune function and other aspects of our health. If they are functioning poorly due to imbalanced flora, inflammation, improper food absorption, or food moving through at the wrong speed, many things can go awry. Think of fireweed as a soothing friend to the constant work of digestion. Try using it for imbalances due to a change in diet, when recovering from food poisoning, irritable bowel syndrome, or chronic low-grade diarrhea or constipation. Fireweed is great at bringing things back to a state of balance, but it is not antibacterial or anti-protozoal. If you have giardia or some other type of gut infection, make sure to treat it, and then use fireweed to help bring things back to a state of balance.

Native People from Alaska all the way down the West Coast use fireweed for food and medicine. Skokomish Elder Bruce Miller recommended fireweed tea for sore throats and lung congestion. Fireweed has antispasmodic properties, making it useful for asthma, coughs, and intestinal spasms. The roots can be dug and mashed to make an anti-inflammatory poultice. 
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Learning from Fireweed– Restore

When land is damaged, it is fireweed that brings the first promise of recovery. It reminds us that nature has her healing cycle, one initiated by this lush, fiery medicine springing up in abundance. Fireweed is not a plant medicine you take just once for positive effects—it is used over the long-term. Often, long-standing imbalances do not show up overnight, but develop over time, and our body takes time to recover. Fireweed represents the promise that beauty and balance will return after bodily illness or environmental destruction.

Think about your own healing journey. Are there things you can do to nurture yourself, both in the present, and with long-term commitments? Perhaps writing in a journal, taking a daily walk, finding time for prayer or personal reflection, preparing food for yourself or others, or making tea on a regular basis will support you.

• What actions can I take right now to restore my physical and emotional health?
• Is there something I can do to repair the harm I have caused others?
• What plants, places, and people can help me heal my wounds and support my growth?

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