Fireweed vs Pearly Everlasting - TreeTime.ca

Fireweed vs Pearly Everlasting

Chamaenerion angustifolium (Epilobium angustifolium)

Anaphalis margaritacea

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Fireweed
Pearly Everlasting

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.

Pearly Everlasting is a native perennial wildflower known for its clusters of white, papery flowers with yellow centres. These long-lasting blooms appear throughout summer, and the silver-grey foliage adds contrast to the landscape. Its nectar supports a variety of pollinators and serves as a host plant for painted lady caterpillars.

Pearly Everlasting is also used in dried flower arrangements. It is well-suited for pollinator gardens, naturalization, ecological restoration, and low-maintenance landscapes.

Fireweed Quick Facts

Pearly Everlasting Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 2a
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 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
Growth form: upright, clump-forming
Spreading: seeds - high, rhizomes - high
Spreading: rhizomes - medium
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: wooly hairs
Flowers: pink-purple spikes
Flowers: white, papery, with yellow centers
Bloom time: mid summer to fall
Bloom time: summer
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, PE
Other Names: fire weed, great willowherb, rosebay willowherb, willow herb
Other Names: western pearly everlasting