page_title: Chamaenerion angustifolium
section_title: Uses
hierarchical_section_title: Chamaenerion angustifolium / Uses
caption_attribution_description: English: Chamerion angustifolium (inflorescense) fermented tea Lietuvių: Gauromečio arbata (fermentuota) Русский: Иван-чай
context_page_description: Chamaenerion angustifolium, known in North America as fireweed, in some parts of Canada as great willowherb, in Britain and Ireland as rosebay willowherb, and traditionally known as Saint Anthony's Laurel amongst other variants, is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the willowherb family Onagraceae. It is also known by the synonyms Chamerion angustifolium and Epilobium angustifolium. It is native throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere, including large parts of the boreal forests.
context_section_description: The very young shoots and leaves can be cooked and eaten.
  Traditionally the young shoots are collected in the spring by Native American  and Siberian people and mixed with other greens. As the plant matures, the leaves become tough and somewhat bitter. The southeast Native Americans use the stems in this stage. They are peeled and eaten raw. When properly prepared soon after picking they are a good source of vitamin C and pro-vitamin A. The Dena'ina add fireweed to their dogs' food. Fireweed is also a medicine of the Upper Inlet Dena'ina, who treat pus-filled boils or cuts by placing a piece of the raw stem on the afflicted area. This is said to draw the pus out of the cut or boil and prevents a cut with pus in it from healing over too quickly.
  The root can be roasted after scraping off the outside, but often tastes bitter. To mitigate this, the root is collected before the plant flowers and the brown thread in the middle removed. The stem centers can also be prepared by splitting the outer stalk, and eaten raw.
  In Russia, fireweed is made into a tea known as Ivan Chai. They use it as highly prized medicinal herb too.
  In the Yukon, the flowers from fireweed are made into jelly.
  Fireweed's natural variation in ploidy has prompted its use in scientific studies of polyploidy's possible effects on adaptive potential and species diversification.
  Because fireweed can colonize disturbed sites, even following an old oil spill, it is often used to reestablish vegetation.
  It is also grown as an ornamental plant. A white form, C. angustolium 'Album' is listed by the Royal Horticultural Society
caption: Leaves used as fermented tea
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