Fireweed vs Canada Anemone - TreeTime.ca

Fireweed vs Canada Anemone

Chamaenerion angustifolium (Epilobium angustifolium)

Anemonastrum canadense (Anemone canadensis)

CUSTOM GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Fireweed
Canada Anemone

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.

Canada Anemone is a native perennial wildflower known for its white, buttercup-like flowers. Blooming from mid-spring to early summer, it attracts a variety of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Its deep green foliage, characterized by deeply cut leaves with sharply toothed edges, adds texture and visual interest to the landscape even when the plant is not in bloom.

Canada Anemone grows naturally in moist meadows, forest edges, and riparian zones. Spreading rapidly through underground rhizomes, it forms large colonies that can help stabilize soil. It is well-suited to naturalization and restoration projects, including revegetating difficult, wet sites. Also suitable for rain gardens and pollinator gardens, but extra care and maintenance may be required to control its spread in smaller urban yards.

Fireweed Quick Facts

Canada Anemone Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 3a
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, dense, colony-forming
Growth form: spreading, colony forming
Spreading: seeds - high, rhizomes - high
Spreading: rhizomes - high
Maintenance: medium
Maintenance: medium


Toxicity: all plants parts toxic if ingested, can cause skin irritation
Flowers: pink-purple spikes
Flowers: white, cup-shaped
Bloom time: mid summer to fall
Bloom time: mid spring to early 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, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: fire weed, great willowherb, rosebay willowherb, willow herb
Other Names: american meadow anemone, meadow anemone, roundleaf anemone, roundleaf thimbleweed