Floral emblem of the Yukon Territory. Bees produce a delicious honey from the flowers. Flowers rose pink. Fruit narrow, red or green seed pods that split and release a multitude of tiny, fluffy, white seeds. Seed dispersal by wind.
Airborne seeds allow fireweed to establish rapidly.
Requires bare mineral soil in addition to high light for germination. Moisture supply is more stable and more nutrients are available on a mineral soil seedbed. Once established, forms large colonies via rhizomes and produces large amounts of seed. Vegetative reproduction more prevalent than sexual reproduction. Sprouts from rhizomes following disturbance.