Plant
American Burnweed
Erechtites hieraciifoliusAlso known as Fireweed, Pilewort, American Fireweed
American burnweed is a fast-growing annual pioneer plant known for colonizing recently burned or disturbed ground. Its tall, ribbed stems bear narrow, deeply serrated leaves and cylindrical flower heads that mature into fluffy, wind-borne seed heads. While often viewed as an opportunistic weed, it rapidly stabilizes bare soil and provides nectar for small native pollinators.
Pioneer PlantDisturbed SoilWind-Dispersed
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyAutotrophic
Predators
- White-Tailed Deer
- Cottontail Rabbits
- Aphids
ThreatsAgricultural weed management and targeted herbicide application
HabitatsDisturbed soils, burned forest clearings, roadsides, and fields
Life span1 year
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
- Look for Seed Heads: Search for the white brush-like fluffs that disperse on late summer breezes.
- Identify Disturbance: Use its presence to spot recently cleared, burned, or excavated land.
Ecological Neighbor (c) Zihao Wang, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Zihao Wang · cc-by
Family Member Walther Otto Müller / Public domain · cc0
Close Relative (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · cc-by-sa
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