Birch Leaf Spirea vs Fireweed - TreeTime.ca

Birch Leaf Spirea vs Fireweed

Spiraea betulifolia

Chamaenerion angustifolium (Epilobium angustifolium)

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Birch Leaf Spirea
Fireweed

Birch Leaf Meadowsweet is a small, rounded shrub, reaching 3 to 4 feet high.

In the early summer, white flowers emerge with dark green foliage. Come fall, birch-like leaves turn a kaleidoscope of red, orange, and purple adding seasonal interest.

Native to Japan and Eastern Asia, this dwarf shrub attracts butterflies and is an excellent option for the front row of a shrub border.

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.

Birch Leaf Spirea Quick Facts

Fireweed Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 1a
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, dense, colony-forming
Spreading: seeds - high, rhizomes - high
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


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, NU, PE
Other Names: birch leaf meadowsweet, shiny leaf spirea, white spirea
Other Names: fire weed, great willowherb, rosebay willowherb, willow herb