Tall Manna Grass vs Fireweed - TreeTime.ca

Tall Manna Grass vs Fireweed

Glyceria grandis

Chamaenerion angustifolium (Epilobium angustifolium)

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Tall Manna Grass
Fireweed

Manna Grass and other waterside plants are an excellent way to prevent erosion and provide habitat and forage for animals. The difference is that Manna Grass looks better doing it! With distinctive purple grains at the top of its stalks, Manna Grass adds a splash of color to the waterside that most other aquatics can't offer.

Manna Grass is good for returning disturbed sites to nature and provides nourishment to many animals, except for cattle who find it toxic.

Fireweed is a native perennial wildflower known for its tall spikes of bright pink to purple blooms. Its long-lasting summer flowers are an important nectar source for pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, while its seeds provide food for birds. Its showy, long-lasting display makes it visually striking in naturalized plantings.

Fireweed gets its namesake because it is often one of the first species to return after wildfires, supporting ecosystem recovery. Its wind-dispersed seeds allow it to spread readily, making it highly effective in large-scale restoration, revegetation, and naturalization projects.
Fireweed is the Provincial Flower of the Yukon.

Tall Manna Grass Quick Facts

Fireweed Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 1a
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, dense, colony-forming
Spreading: seeds - high, rhizomes - high
Suckering: medium
Maintenance: medium

Toxicity: toxic to cattle

Foliage: long thin leaves
Flowers: purple
Flowers: pink-purple spikes
Bloom time: mid summer to fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, PE
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: american manna grass, reed manna grass
Other Names: fire weed, great willowherb, rosebay willowherb, willow herb