Image of Epilobium ciliatum
Source: Donna Bos
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Plant Names

image of Flowering plant
Epilobium ciliatum
Northern Willowherb
Épilobe cilié

Synonyms

northern willowherb
purple-leaved willowherb

Plant Characteristics

Bloom Colour: Pink Bloom Period: Jun - Oct
Max Height: 2.0 feet
Max Width: 2.0 feet (spreads by rhizome)
Light Condition:
Full sun More than 6 hours of direct sun a day
Part shade More than 2 or 3 hours but less than 6 hours of direct sun a day
Soil conditions:
Moisture medium Tolerates medium soil condition
Lifespan: Annual plants that have a lifespan of one year
Gardener Experience:
plant spread by rhizome Spreads by rhizome
plant germinate easy Easy to germinate
plant self seeding Self-seeding
Landscape Uses:
rock garden Suitable for rock gardens
wetland garden Suitable for wetland garden
container suitable Suitable for container garden
school garden Suitable for school gardens
Ecological Benefits: No ecological benefits information available.
Tolerates:
Foot Traffic Tolerant Tolerates foot traffic around the plant
Limestone Tolerant Tolerates limestone conditions
Special Features and Considerations:

Seed and plant distribution status

No seeds available for this plant.

We are not accepting seeds for this plant at the moment.

Plant Location

Native to Ottawa region: Yes

Distribution according to VASCAN

Distribution: Epilobium ciliatum
Ephemeral Native Introduced Excluded Extirpated Doubtful Absent

Thrives in Ecozones

  • Taiga Plains
  • Atlantic Maritime
  • Boreal Plains
  • Montane Cordillera
  • Prairies
  • Boreal Shield
  • Boreal Cordillera
  • Pacific Maritime
  • Mixed Wood Plains

Ecological Benefits

Butterflies Supported by Epilobium ciliatum

  • Eudryas unio (Pearly Wood Nymph)
  • Hyles lineata (White lined Sphinx)

Specialized Bees Supported by Epilobium ciliatum

No bee data available for this plant.

Complementary Plants

  • No complementary plants found.

Substitute For Non-Native Plants

  • Miscanthus (Silvergrass)
  • Cortaderia selloana (Pampas Grass)
  • Pennisetum setaceum (Fountain Grass)

Sowing Information

Download Seed Envelope Labels (PDF)
  • Sowing depth: Surface sow
  • Sow by February
  • Stratification duration: 60 days
  • Self-seeding

Harvesting and Seed Sharing

  • Harvest start month: July
  • Harvesting indicator:
    • Seeds have become fluffy and can be easily removed by shaking on gently pulling off from stem
  • Harvesting:
    • Shake seed head in paper bag
  • Seed viability test:
    • No test needed before donating
  • Packaging measure: 1 rounded 1/32 teaspoon
  • Seed storage:
    • Air dry in paper bag or open container, for a few days until crisp
    • Shake seeds to move them once in a while to prevent molding
  • Cultivar: No, you can donate without knowing the source as there are only straight species
  • Harvesting video: Watch here

Toxicity Notes

Inadequate information on toxicity found.