Willowherb : Two types - 1 September 2022

You can see this plant growing along some country roads near where I live : an intense pink colour.

I’ve been told its name in the States is fireweed while in the UK it is known as Willowherb, or Chamerion angustifolium. I also found an alternative name for it rosebay willowherb.

_{That’s a closeup I managed to get of it using my phone camera on a good day back in July.}

_{Photo taken at the end of August : plants are looking older and their colour is more concentrated}

I was interested in this plant because I needed to clear a doubt I have had for a while. From a distance I thought the two flowers of literally the same colour and look were the same. After looking closer at them and reading about them, however, I finally understood they’re quite different.

_{Apologies for the lack of focus; it was a breezy day.}

The two photos above show Great Hairy Willowherb. I must confess I have so far failed to understand why they are called ‘hairy’ but I will keep investigating.

Both plants Rosebay Willowherb and Great Hairy Willowherb are considered as invasive weeds. I will show you why they are not liked so much. Once they stop being nice and pink and go to 'seed' they become unstoppable.

It is very interesting to see how both plants disperse their seeds. They produce a sort of fluff that just floats in the air on breezy days and can cover big areas that way. This is similar to dandelions and thistles - is that what makes them weeds ?

Although it is really nice to see these bright pink flowers towards the end of the season they become a bit messy.

Thank you for stopping by.