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Fireweed, also known as Great Willow Herd, is a member of the Evening Primrose family. The floral emblem of Yukon, this perennial is one of the first growths after a fire, hence its common name. This pinkish-red or purple flower has 4 petals with 8 prominent yellow stamens. It blooms June to September. The flowers start to open at the bottom of the smooth, reddish stem. By the time the upper flowers are in bloom, the lower ones have started to go to seed. The narrow seedpods are up to 6 cm long, reddish green and filled with a multitude fluffy seeds that become disperse once the seedpods dry and split open.
The leaves alternate along the reddish stem that grows from 60-180 cm. The leaves are lance-shaped, and up to 20 cm long with a short stem. Fireweed grows from 50 to 300 cm tall.
In the Algonquin Highlands you might find the Fireweed in open fields, meadows, and at the edges of forests.
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