Rosebay Willowherb

Rosebay Willowherb or as Gaeilge Lus na Tine

Chamerion angustifolium (Epilobium angustifolium)

Family: Onagraceae

Sometimes called Fireweed, this beautiful, tall, vigorous, showy perennial graces the margins of woodland, bogs and roadsides from June to September in Kilteevan and can reach a height of almost 2 metres. As you can see from our local images it is an interesting plant to observe over four months.

The flowers have four-petals and growing up a long spike. They are magenta or deep pinkish-purple in colour. It is a hairy plant, with long coarsely toothed leaves.

It looks firey red as it goes to seed-hence possibly the use of the name Fireweed in some places

This plant is native to part of the country and has been introduced to other areas.

In autumn the downy seed pods split into four and releasing numerous long plumes of cottony hairs with tiny light seeds. This plant has become quite widespread across Ireland, possibly because it seems to thrive on disturbed land.

Rosebay Willow-herb has been used in a few areas of medicine.