Chamerion angustifolium subsp. circumvagum
Fireweed, Fireweed
Stan Shebs (via Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA
Family: Onagraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Chamerion angustifolium subsp. circumvagum (Fireweed) is a native California herb in the Onagraceae family, recognized by . Distinctive tall growth form and fire-following habitat.
Fireweed is a California native perennial found in northern coastal, Klamath, high cascade, Sierra Nevada, and eastern desert mountain regions in open places, gravel bars, and roadsides at elevations up to 3,300 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces deep pink to magenta flowers with distinctive blue-gray pollen. Growing in strongly colonial clusters up to three meters tall with erect stems that are nearly smooth or densely hairy toward the top. Its lanceolate leaves range from 1.5 to 20 centimeters long, with a strigose midrib on the underside. The plant produces elongated gray-hairy seed pods 4 to 10 centimeters in length, making it a characteristic pioneer species often appearing in areas recently cleared by fire.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 0 sympatric species - geographically isolated. Distinctive tall growth form and fire-following habitat.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Open places, gravel bars, roadsides, especially after fires
Elevation: < 3300 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Tulare, Mono, San Diego, Inyo, Alpine, Butte, Calaveras, Glenn, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Modoc, Placer, Sierra, Sonoma, Tuolumne, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Humboldt, Mendocino, Nevada, Plumas, Siskiyou, Trinity, Lassen, Shasta, Riverside, Tehama, Sacramento
Outside California: circumboreal
Bloom period
Chamerion angustifolium subsp. circumvagum blooms Jul-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Epilobium: Chamerion has all alternate leaves; Epilobium has at least some opposite leaves lower on stem.
Frequently asked questions
Is Chamerion angustifolium subsp. circumvagum native to California?
Yes. Chamerion angustifolium subsp. circumvagum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Chamerion angustifolium subsp. circumvagum bloom?
Chamerion angustifolium subsp. circumvagum blooms Jul-Sep.
Where in California does Chamerion angustifolium subsp. circumvagum grow?
Chamerion angustifolium subsp. circumvagum occurs in San Bernardino, Tulare, Mono, San Diego, Inyo, Alpine, Butte, Calaveras and other counties, at elevations of < 3300 m.
What plant family does Chamerion angustifolium subsp. circumvagum belong to?
Chamerion angustifolium subsp. circumvagum is in the Onagraceae family, genus Chamerion.
What habitat does Chamerion angustifolium subsp. circumvagum grow in?
Chamerion angustifolium subsp. circumvagum grows in Common. Open places, gravel bars, roadsides, especially after fires.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.