The natural history of the northwoods . Stems single, 3'-9' tall, and may be very leafy. Fruit a capsule with 300-500 seeds.
Seeds have a tuft of long hairs on one end.
Disturbed ground such as cut-over or burned forests and swamps, avalanche areas, recently deglaciated areas, and riverbars. Abundant in coniferous forest, mixed forest, aspen parkland, grasslands, and muskeg. Declines due to the effects of competing vegetation. Progressive changes from open to closed canopy in a forest result in decreasing abundance. An important colonizer following vegetation disturbances in temperate climates worldwide.