Is this plant invasive?

It is native to North America and is considered a beneficial pioneer species rather than invasive.

Does it need a lot of water?

It prefers moist soil but can tolerate short periods of dryness once established.

Guide botanique

American burnweed.

Erechtites hieraciifolius

Prononciation eh-rek-TY-teez hy-er-ay-see-FOH-lee-us

Aussi appelée American Burnweed, American Burnweed, Pilewort , Fireweed, American Fireweed, Burnweed, Fire-weed, Fireweed, Malayan Groundsel, Pilewort

American burnweed is a fast growing annual that often pops up in disturbed soil or after fires. It has a tall, upright habit and produces unique, brush like flower heads. It is a native species that thrives in open, sunny areas.

Une autre photo de American burnweed — Photo de Andrew Turner (CC BY) via iNaturalist

En un coup d'œil

Niveau d'entretien: Facile
Type de plante: Annual herb
Lumière: Full sun to partial shade
Lumière en intérieur: Soleil direct
Arrosage: Tous les 2 à 4 jours
Taille adulte: 3 to 8 feet
Croissance: Rapide
Rusticité: USDA 3 à 9
Floraison: Mid summer to early autumn

Entretien

Keep the soil consistently moist as this plant prefers damp conditions. Watch for wilting during dry spells, as it does not tolerate drought well. It is a prolific self seeder, so remove flower heads if you want to limit its spread.

Arrosage: Water whenever the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch.
Engrais: Apply a balanced liquid fertilizer during the active growing season.
Taille: Deadhead spent flowers to prevent unwanted seed dispersal.
Rempotage: Since this is an annual, it typically completes its life cycle within one year.
Sol: Moist, fertile, well drained soil
pH du sol: 6.0 to 7.5
Température: -15 à 35°C
Humidité: 40 à 80%
Résistance à la sécheresse: Moyenne
Durée de vie: Annual, typically 1 year
Résistance aux chevreuils et lapins: Moyenne

Sécurité

Humains: The plant is generally considered non-toxic but should be handled with care as some individuals may experience contact dermatitis.
Enfants: The fluffy seed heads are tempting to touch but can be a minor choking hazard if inhaled or ingested by small children.
Allergènes de contact: Handling the foliage may cause mild skin irritation in sensitive individuals.
Allergènes aéroportés: The wind dispersed seeds have fine hairs that can be a minor respiratory irritant.
Comestibilité: While young leaves are sometimes eaten as a potherb, they can be bitter and require careful identification to avoid confusion with toxic lookalikes.

Comment l'identifier

Tall, succulent, grooved stems
Alternate, lance shaped, serrated leaves
Small, cylindrical, white to greenish flower heads
Seeds have fluffy, white bristles

Hauteur: 0,6 à 2,5m
Envergure: 0,3 à 0,6m
Feuilles: green, deciduous
Fleurs: white, cream, 0,5 à 1cm
Fruits: brown, Autumn

Problèmes courants

Powdery Mildew — White fungal growth on leaves often caused by poor air circulation.
Aphids — Small insects that cluster on new growth and suck plant juices.

La cultiver

Multiplication: seed
Quand planter: spring
Hivernage: As an annual, the plant dies back completely after setting seed in autumn. No special winter care is needed.
En pot: It is not well suited for containers due to its height and rapid growth habit.

Seed Sowing

1. Collect mature seeds in late autumn when the heads turn fluffy.
2. Sow seeds directly onto prepared soil in early spring.
3. Lightly press seeds into the soil surface as they require light to germinate.

Plant this in open, sunny areas where it has room to self seed without crowding out slower growing perennials.

Bonnes associations

Verge d'or — They share similar habitat requirements and provide a late season nectar boost.
Symphyotrichum — These plants provide excellent structural and color contrast in a meadow setting.

Espèces similaires

Common groundsel — It shares a similar growth habit but is generally much smaller.
Erechtites floridanus — This species is closely related and often confused due to similar appearance.

Science

Famille: Asteraceae
Genre: Erechtites
Ordre: Asterales
Classe: Magnoliopsida
Région d'origine: Widespread across North and South America.
Préservation: It is a common and widespread native species that is not currently of conservation concern.

This plant acts as an opportunistic colonizer that quickly occupies disturbed sites or areas recently cleared by fire.

Intérêt pour la faune: nectar source, larval host plant
Pollinisateurs: abeilles, papillons, papillons de nuit
Utilisations: pioneer species, wildlife garden, restoration planting

Au fil des saisons

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Floraison

Fructification

Feuillage

Repères écologiques

Salinité: 2/9
Réaction du sol: 5/9
Lumière: 7/9
Température: 5/9
Humidité: 6/9
Nutriments: 5/9

Taxonomie vérifiée avec le GBIF.

Ce qu'on demande souvent

Is this plant invasive?: It is native to North America and is considered a beneficial pioneer species rather than invasive.
Does it need a lot of water?: It prefers moist soil but can tolerate short periods of dryness once established.

D'où vient le nom

The genus name Erechtites comes from a Greek name used by Dioscorides for a groundsel, while the specific epithet hieraciifolius refers to the leaves resembling those of the hawkweed genus Hieracium.

Bon à savoir

It is commonly known as fireweed because it colonizes burned areas rapidly.
The plant produces vast quantities of windborne seeds.
It is an annual that completes its entire life cycle in one growing season.

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Cette page est un guide général. Pocket Botanist diagnostique les problèmes directement à partir d'une photo de ta plante, adapte l'arrosage à sa luminosité et te prévient quand il faut t'en occuper.

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Ce guide a été généré par IA et vérifié avec la taxonomie du GBIF. Il s'agit d'informations générales, et non de conseils horticoles ou vétérinaires. Découvre comment nous concevons ces guides.