Is this plant invasive?

It is native to the Americas, where it is considered a beneficial pioneer species, but it has become invasive in some places outside its native range, such as Hawaii, East Asia and parts of Europe.

Does it need a lot of water?

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

Plant guide

American burnweed.

Erechtites hieraciifolius

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

Also known as 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.

Another photo of American burnweed — Photo by Andrew Turner (CC BY) via iNaturalist

At a glance

Care level: Easy
Plant type: Annual herb
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Indoor light: Direct sun
Water: Every 2 to 4 days
Mature size: 3 to 8 feet
Growth rate: Fast
Hardiness: USDA 3 to 9
Bloom time: Mid summer to early autumn

Care

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.

Watering: Water whenever the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch.
Feeding: Apply a balanced liquid fertilizer during the active growing season.
Pruning: Deadhead spent flowers to prevent unwanted seed dispersal.
Repotting: Since this is an annual, it typically completes its life cycle within one year.
Soil: Moist, fertile, well drained soil
Soil pH: 6.0 to 7.5
Temperature: -15 to 35°C
Humidity: 40 to 80%
Drought tolerance: Moderate
Lifespan: Annual, typically 1 year
Deer and rabbits: Moderate

Safety

People: The plant has been reported to contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which can damage the liver if eaten regularly or in large amounts, and it should be handled with care as some individuals may experience contact dermatitis.
Children: The fluffy seed heads are tempting to touch but can be a minor choking hazard if inhaled or ingested by small children.
Contact allergens: Handling the foliage may cause mild skin irritation in sensitive individuals.
Airborne allergens: The wind dispersed seeds have fine hairs that can be a minor respiratory irritant.
Edibility: While young leaves are sometimes eaten as a potherb, they can be bitter and require careful identification to avoid confusion with toxic lookalikes.

How to identify it

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

Height: 0.6 to 2.5m
Spread: 0.3 to 0.6m
Leaves: green, deciduous
Flowers: white, cream, 0.5 to 1cm
Fruit: brown, Autumn

Problems to watch for

By symptom

Plant problems by symptom

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Growing it

Propagation: seed
When to plant: spring
Overwintering: As an annual, the plant dies back completely after setting seed in autumn. No special winter care is needed.
In containers: 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.

Grows well with

Goldenrod · They share similar habitat requirements and provide a late season nectar boost.
Aster · These plants provide excellent structural and color contrast in a meadow setting.

Similar species

Common Groundsel · It shares a similar growth habit but is generally much smaller.
American Burnweed · This species is closely related and often confused due to similar appearance.

Science

Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Erechtites
Order: Asterales
Class: Magnoliopsida
Native range: Widespread across North and South America.
Conservation: 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.

Value to wildlife: nectar source, larval host plant
Pollinators: bees, butterflies, moths
Uses: pioneer species, wildlife garden, restoration planting

Through the year

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Flowering

Fruiting

Foliage

Ecological indicators

Salinity: 2/9
Soil reaction: 5/9
Light: 7/9
Temperature: 5/9
Moisture: 6/9
Nutrients: 5/9

Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.

Questions people ask

Is this plant invasive?: It is native to the Americas, where it is considered a beneficial pioneer species, but it has become invasive in some places outside its native range, such as Hawaii, East Asia and parts of Europe.
Does it need a lot of water?: It prefers moist soil but can tolerate short periods of dryness once established.

Where the name comes from

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.

Good to know

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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This guide was generated with AI on September 26, 2026 and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.