Alaska's Fireweed

By Michael Montgomery

Like many Alaskan natives, I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with the fireweed.  I could appreciate the beautiful fuchsia-colored petals and thin and delicate leaves fluttering with the soft Alaskan summer winds. However, as the stems grow thicker and the flowers grow higher on the reed, one knows that the beauty of summer is in its twilight.

The fireweed’s presence begins in early spring as the young shoots are collected and used for local salads.  It often reminds me how short the spring and summer seasons can be in Alaska.

Old Native legends tell how every fireweed is the soul of a tree lost in a forest fire. When the embers of the fire have cooled and the ashes of burned wood cover the ground, the first plant to appear is the fireweed.  It rises up from the ash pile with its pink to magenta colored flowers and dares everyone to admire it.

          The fireweed has been used to make fishing nets, blankets and as food. It holds a rich culinary and medicinal history, not only in Alaska but all over the world.  It’s been used to make a relaxing tea, in salads, for skin problems and even to treat asthma in young children.  Its high content of Vitamin C and pro-vitamin A make it a great additive for soups and it’s used to produce jellies and jams.

Not only do humans use and benefit from the consumption of the fireweed, but so do animals.  Natives put it into their dog’s food and hummingbirds feast on its nectar.  From hares, to moose and white-tailed deer, the animal kingdom will feast on the fireweed.  Even, the little chipmunk will store the fireweed’s seeds for the upcoming hibernation season.

As each successive flower blooms above the one underneath, Alaskans begin to mark their calendars. As the older blooms seed and turn to cotton and the last of the flowers garnish the top of the reed, one can be rest assured, that according to legend, winter is six weeks away.  

Michael Montgomery holds a degree in chemistry and biology and is an avid outdoorsman.  He resides in New York and hopes someday to return to his native Alaska to once again admire the fireweed.