The name of the plant that I'm doing is called fireweed they have four pink petals and four stigmas. Their reddish brown seed capsule splits and bares tiny brown seeds. About 300 to 400 are in a capsule and about 80,000 seeds per plant. The seeds have silky hairs that causes them to spread easily in the wind. When one finds the right growing spot they spread by under ground roots each forming a large patch. They also have unique leaves they have circular veins that don't touch the edge of the leaf,but they form loops and form together inside the outer leaf margins.This makes them easy to identify in all stages of growth.
When they emerge in early spring they can be confused with poisonous lilys but can easily be identified by their unique leaves. Fireweed finds life in wide ranges and where the soil is most to dry.But they are commonly found in disturbed areas such as burned forests, forest clearings, swamps, avalanche areas, river bars, highway and railroads, waste sites and old fields. They grow very well in coniferous forests, mixed forests, aspen park lands, meadows, thickets, and grasslands. Since they live in disturbed areas even following an old oil spill people use it to restore vegetation.They are native to Arctic ecosystems people refer them to ornamental plants we think they are too aggressive for that category.
The climate they live in is warm summers and long cold winters rainfall averages between 13 and 134.7 inches a year. They grow best in full sun with the exception of some shade.
Sites cited
http://depts.washington.edu/propplnt/Plants/epilobium.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fireweed
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Fireweed
http://images.google.com/images?gbv=2&ndsp=21&hl=en&q=fireweed&start=210&sa=N
When they emerge in early spring they can be confused with poisonous lilys but can easily be identified by their unique leaves. Fireweed finds life in wide ranges and where the soil is most to dry.But they are commonly found in disturbed areas such as burned forests, forest clearings, swamps, avalanche areas, river bars, highway and railroads, waste sites and old fields. They grow very well in coniferous forests, mixed forests, aspen park lands, meadows, thickets, and grasslands. Since they live in disturbed areas even following an old oil spill people use it to restore vegetation.They are native to Arctic ecosystems people refer them to ornamental plants we think they are too aggressive for that category.
The climate they live in is warm summers and long cold winters rainfall averages between 13 and 134.7 inches a year. They grow best in full sun with the exception of some shade.
Sites cited
http://depts.washington.edu/propplnt/Plants/epilobium.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fireweed
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Fireweed
http://images.google.com/images?gbv=2&ndsp=21&hl=en&q=fireweed&start=210&sa=N
That is a great essay!!I never knew that their was Fireweed! They are a very pretty!I found it interesting that they could replenish oil fields.
ReplyDeleteTaylor, I loved the plant you posted about. It's very pink. I never even knew there was a plant called fireweed. It's very interesting on how you can tell it apart from the poisonous lilies. You did a great job.
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