Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium) is a large and showy flowering plant in the Evening Primrose family.

The purple flowers grow in spikes along the top of the plant's stem, and because the plant can grow to six feet in length, many people can see the flowers at eye level.

With the exception of the Southeast and lower Midwest, the plant grows and flowers throughout the summer, in open areas across the United States.

Large butterflies like swallowtails are attracted to the plant.

© 2008 Patricia A. Michaels