Fireweed: Flower of the Yukon at Bill Casselman's Canadian Word of the Day

Other common names of the official flower of the Yukon are: Mooseweed, Willow Herb, Blooming Sally

Genus: Epilobium Botanical Latin < epi Greek, ‘on’ + lobon Greek, ‘pod,’ refers to the placement of the flower in this genus and the way it sits on top of a long ovary, which later becomes a thin seed pod or capsule.

Family: Onagraceae , the Evening Primrose family < Onagra, former botanical name of the family < onagra Greek, a female wild ass < onagros Greek, male wild ass = onos Greek, donkey, ass + agrios Greek, wild; but why the name? Because some wandering botanist of yore saw wild asses eating evening primroses? We shall never know.

Species

August 17 is Discovery Day in Yukon Territory , recalling the big strike of 1896 that began the Klondike Gold Rush. A sprig of fireweed often decorates posters and advertising concerning Discovery Day because the pink-blossomed fireweed, Epilobium angustifolium is the official flower of the Yukon . When the pod dehisces after midsummer, it sends out delicate aerial flotillas of silky-winged seeds across thousands of northern acres. The specific adjective angustifolium means ‘with narrow leaves.’

Uses

Native peoples of the North liked the sugary pith of fireweed obtained by splitting a young stalk and scooping it out. Elk and deer browse in fireweed fields, and the dark, sweet-smelling honey makes it worth putting beehives near fireweed. Beekeepers also plant fireweed close to apiaries because the honey produced is of superior taste. French-Canadian voyageurs called it l’herbe fret and cooked it as greens. In Russia , fireweed leaves are brewed for kapporie or kapor tea.

When invasive as on cleared or logged-off land, it sometimes bears the name mooseweed. Its most common name signifies that fireweed is among the first plants to bloom on land after a burn-over. Campers in our North may brew up a refreshing backwoods tea by pouring hot water over the tender young leaves of fireweed. The tea is light green and sweetish. Just make sure you have correctly identified fireweed before teatime, so that there may be an after-teatime.