Chives vs Fireweed - TreeTime.ca

Chives vs Fireweed

Chamaenerion angustifolium (Epilobium angustifolium)

Allium schoenoprasum

CUSTOM GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Fireweed
Chives

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.

Chives are small bulbous perennials commonly used as herbs in cooking for a mild onion like flavour. Chives also add ornamental benefits to your yard with their tubular grass-like leaves and clusters of pale purple flowers. The flower heads can also be used as a garnish or in oils.

It is best to harvest Chives from the base to maintain the attractive clumps. If the flowers are not dead-headed, it will self-seed. Planting our overwintered chives will give you a head start in your vegetable garden.

Fireweed Quick Facts

Chives Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 4a
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 0.4 m (1.3 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: fast
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
Flowers: purple
Bloom time: mid summer to fall
Flavor: onion/garlic
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: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU
Other Names: fire weed, great willowherb, rosebay willowherb, willow herb
Other Names: schnittlauch