Plant · GBIF taxon 3132457
American burnweed
Erechtites hieraciifoliusAlso known as Fireweed, Pilewort
American burnweed thrives in disturbed, sunlit landscapes, rapidly colonizing recent burn sites, clear-cuts, and roadside edges. Stout, ribbed stems produce coarse foliage and yield dense clusters of narrow, cylindrical flower heads that remain perpetually unopened and greenish. As seed heads mature, they burst into brilliant white tufts of fine bristles that drift across wide distances on the wind.
AnnualPioneer SpeciesWildflower
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Autotrophic
Predators
- Caterpillars
- Herbivorous insects
- Deer
ThreatsHerbicides, secondary ecological succession
HabitatsDisturbed soil, burn sites, fields, roadsides
Life span1 year
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderAsterales
- FamilyAsteraceae
- GenusErechtites
- SpeciesErechtites hieraciifolius
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Identification: Rub a leaf between your fingers to notice a strong, pungent odor.
- Timing: Look for bright white seed tufts forming in late summer and early autumn.
Ecological Look-alike (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · cc-by-sa
Frequent Companion (c) Zihao Wang, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Zihao Wang · cc-by
Close Relative
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