Chamerion latifolium

Dwarf fireweed

Family: Onagraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Dwarf fireweed is a California native perennial found in northern and central Sierra Nevada in gravel bars, talus slopes, and glacial outwashes at elevations of 2,500 to 3,100 meters. Flowering from July to August, this plant produces white to pink or rose-purple flowers with a delicate, subtle color gradient. Growing in compact clusters with woody bases, it reaches heights up to 70 centimeters with a bluish-gray to densely hairy appearance. Its leaves are elliptic to widely lanceolate, 1 to 10 centimeters long, with margins and veins that may be slightly hairy. The plant produces elongated fruits 3 to 10.5 centimeters in length, ranging from nearly smooth to lightly gray-haired.

Habitat: Gravel bars, talus slopes, glacial outwashes

Bloom period: Jul-Aug

Elevation: 2500-3100 m

Bioregions: n&ampc SNH

California counties: Siskiyou, Mono, Tuolumne, Inyo, Tulare, Fresno, Alpine

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.