RETURN TO BEAUTY

RETURN TO BEAUTY

Supporting the courage to look internally, find self-compassion, and reclaim inner beauty

Fireweed

A Return to Beauty

Fireweed (chamaenerion angustifolium) is a wildflower that is native to the temperate climates of the northern hemisphere and parts of the boreal forest, including Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Canada, northern Europe, and Nepal.  Its name reflects its presence as one of the first species of flora to appear after the devastation of a forest fire, signaling life after death.  In the United Kingdom, it is known as Bombweed, given its appearance following the bombings in WWII.  Similarly, it was one of the first signs of vegetation after the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helen in Washington state.  Fireweed begins the process of healing the earth by recycling the nutrients left in the soil, quickly blanketing the land, attracting pollinators, and supporting the re-growth of diverse flora. 

Fireweed is a beautiful, sturdy perennial that blankets meadows.  Where there is Fireweed, there is wildlife.  Its roots can be boiled and eaten, its shoots consumed like asparagus, its buds added to salads, its leaves made into calming teas.  Its leaves, roots, and stems have been used by native peoples for medicinal purposes to heal bruises, boils, and infections; to treat acne and eczema; and to soothe stomach problems.  Its white fluffy fiber has been used as tinder to start fires and as insulation woven into blankets.


Its flowers bloom slowly, gradually opening from the lower stem to the top of the plant with each flower blooming for about two days.  When Fireweed seed pods open, long, silky white strands of fluff appear – often seen as a sign that Alaska’s short summer is ending.  The white fluff is easily picked up by the wind and dispersed.  Each seed pod contains 300-400 seeds and each plant about 80,000 seeds.  When Fireweed seeds land on open meadows they germinate quickly, blooming in their second year.  On forest floors, they lay and wait dormant until fires eventually come.  When treetops no longer block their access to sunlight or tree roots their access to water, Fireweed emerges, quickly blanketing the land with beautiful, blooming flowers and establishing a strong root system that stabilizes and protects the once damaged land. 

It is no wonder that Fireweed is considered symbolic of bravery, humanity, constancy, renewal, and a return to beauty. Dr. Kobus sees psychotherapy as a process that touches on the symbolism of Fireweed.  Psychotherapy supports our bravery as we explore fears, hurts, and traumas. It helps us recognize our humanity, as one among many and equally deserving of benevolence and compassion. It requires constancy and persistence to explore and reframe, explore and reframe, repeatedly, in the process of rewiring our understand of who we are.  As we do this, we experience a renewal, as what was once broken or run down begins to be repaired, replaced, or reworked.  As we do this, there is a return to beauty in how we see ourselves and the world around us.  For some, this is a quicker blooming, like the Fireweed seeds that land on the meadow.  For others, where there has been more hurt and hardship, it is like the seed on the forest floor that needs the trees of the forest to come down to allow enough sunlight and water to germinate. Once properly nurtured with self-understanding, self-kindness, and self-regard, we can establish a stable root system and bloom again year after year.

Information about Fireweed obtained from multiple sources, including:

  • “Alaska Fireweed, The Flower that Brings Life after Death.” (2020, August 10). Retrieved from https://voyij.com/alaskan-fireweed-the-flower-that-brings-life-after-death/
  • Dietz, S.T. (2002). The Complete Language of Herbs: A Definitive and Illustrated History. Wellfleet Press. 
  • Pinno, B.D., Landhäusser, S.M., Chow, P.S., Quideau, S.A., MacKenzie, M.D. (2013).  Nutrient uptake and growth of fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium) on reclamation soils. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 44 (1): 1–7. doi:10.1139/cjfr-2013-0091
  • Rogers, RD. (2014).  Fireweed – a treasured medicine of the boreal forest. Discovery Phytomedicine, 1: 10-15. doi: 10.15562/phytomedicine.2014.16.
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