Local occurrence

The species of interest is common throughout the Pacific Northwest, but only locally abundant on the outer coast. 

 

Habitat preferences

Fireweed inhabits a wide range of site and soil conditions (moist to dry), but it is most common in disturbed areas such as burned forests and swamps, avalanche areas, riverbars, highway and railroad rights-of-way, waste places and old fields.  It grows well in coniferous forests, mixed forest, aspen parklands, meadows, thickets, and grasslands. 

 

Plant strategy type

The species of interest is an early seral species that colonizes areas following vegetation disturbances in temperate climates throughout the world.  Once fireweed enters a disturbed community, it rapidly becomes abundant.  The species of interest is a dominant species in many diverse riparian and upland seral community types.

 

Associated species

Fireweed often occurs with conifers such as: black spruce, cedar, hemlock, Douglas-fir, silver fir, Jack pine, Balsam fir, tamarack, shortleaf pine, lodgepole pine, western larch, blue sprces and Sitka spruce.  Hardwoods associated with fireweed include:  red maple, aspen, paper birch, and oak. Common shrubs found with fireweed are snowbrush, snowberry, thimbleberry, salmonberry, prickly rose, hoary willow, black twinberry and common juniper.