Buttonbush vs Fireweed - TreeTime.ca

Buttonbush vs Fireweed

Chamaenerion angustifolium (Epilobium angustifolium)

Cephalanthus occidentalis

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Fireweed
Buttonbush

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.

Buttonbush is a moisture loving shrub that provides year round interest.

It has round, fragrant flowers resembling small buttons or pincushions. The flowers transform into small reddish-brown fruit that persists into winter while the leaves take on shades of red in fall.

Providing essential food to bees, butterflies, and other insects, this shrub is versatile. Try it in your next shrub border.

Fireweed Quick Facts

Buttonbush Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 4a
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: any
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: long
Growth form: upright, dense, colony-forming
Spreading: seeds - high, rhizomes - high
Suckering: low
Maintenance: medium
Maintenance: medium


Flowers: pink-purple spikes
Flowers: large, white, spherical
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
Native to: ON, QC, NS, NB
Other Names: fire weed, great willowherb, rosebay willowherb, willow herb