Chamaenerion angustifolium (also Epilobium angustifolium)
Fireweed is a tall northern perennial associated with roadsides, clearings, and recently burned ground. Its name comes from its habit of colonizing burned-over areas.1
Young shoots, leaves, unopened buds, and flowers all appear in northern food traditions, but the plant changes quickly as it matures: older foliage becomes tougher and more bitter.2
Its flowers open progressively up the stem rather than all at once. Maine’s flowering period is generally July into August, and the flowers draw bumblebees, hummingbirds, and hummingbird moths.1