Hi Sheri,

I was just shopping in Plant World Seeds and they have what you are looking for!

Epilobium angustifolium album, aka white fireweed

Happy shopping...

Sheri, I was wondering if you've grown it, or seen it growing where it's gone past bloom -

If not, while not trying to impose my taste :), check out the seed heads. Yes, that's fluff, floats along carrying seeds with a very slight breeze or if you brush up against it....

Here is a link that might be useful: Epilobium seed heads

Wow, cool seed heads! I winter-sowed the regular pink seeds last year. It's a very hardy plant and had abundant and early germination. It hasn't bloomed yet but they are so pretty from pictures. A good native alternative to the invasive Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria).

Sheri,
Ahh...the elusive White Fireweed--it's been my Holy Grail for years...readily available in Europe, is as elusive as hen's teeth this side of the pond...
I ordered four packs of seeds from Plant World, and not one came up. Waited over two years, still nothing. Tried fire, light, GA-3, nothing worked for me. Van Duesen in Canada has the seeds, but won't ship to the US without a phytosanitary certificate. I grew the pink one from seed--when exposed to light it germinated readily in 7 to 14 days. In my area of the world (Zone 8A) it must be incarcerated to prevent its rhizomes from taking over!

Both the species and form 'Alba' are easily propagated from stem cuttings, so all we really need is one WHITE flowered plant(she begs...)
Where are you located? Edelweiss Nursery in Canby, Oregon (phone (503-263-4680) has offered plants of the white-flowered form in the past. The owners are trying to sell off the place, and have re-designed their web site, making it clunky to use. It's not listed in this year's offerings, but perhaps it may be worth a phone call to find out if they have any lurking in their backstock that they'd be willing to sell?

regards,
seedmoney

Seedmoney, there was some at the former Heronswood garden in Kingston, the white not pink - but sold with something of a warning to those of us in PNW where it's not polite or always well behaved. aka Chamaenerion angustifolium var. album. Also see listings under Chamerion. I'm following along here because the interest has made me curious, it's not a plant that grabs me personally :)

Did you call attention to your seed failure to Plant World?
Van Dusen germination suggestions don't look significantly different than Plant World, although the harvest date Van. D website shows Aug 2008. I might want to skip the phyto fee for seeds more than two years old too, although I don't find much to indicate seed age is critical with these.

My own Plant World order should be showing up any day, too late to add to for forwarding to Sheri.

I purchased a small plant of white fireweed 7-8 years ago and have been growing it ever since. I didn't collect any seeds last year (2010) but if you still haven't been able to grow/germinate any of your purchased seeds, I could maybe send you some this fall (2011). The only problem is that I live in Canada, southern Ontario.

Ontnative, has your plant self-sown since you purchased it? I am curious if Fireweed can self-pollinate or if it needs to be cross-pollinated. Some species can, some can't. Aster and Solidago, for example, both require 2 genetically different individuals to produce viable seed.

I'll have to check in the spring. I've never paid attention to its ability (or not) to self-sow. Since most references to "fireweed" warn about self-sowing and spreading tendencies, I guess I just assumed it would self-sow. I forgot that it might be self-incompatible. I know about asters and I was wondering about solidago species. If I am buying or growing native species, I usually get three, (or at least two) of the same kind, and plant them together. Now you have me wondering??

Terene,

According to the website I've linked below,
fireweed can both self cross and outcross, so I guess that is the answer. I should have some self-sown seedlings.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fireweed on Rook.org

Thanks everyone for the follow-ups. Sorry I didn't get back to my post earlier. Winter sowing has eaten up my computer time!

Seedmoney - so sorry about your planting failure. Thanks for the heads up on Edelweiss Nursery. I've bought plants from them, but only at our Hardy Plant Society Sales.

Morz8 - By themselves they are not drop dead beautiful, but I think they would make all of the other wonderful plants in my garden pop. White and spikey, gotta love that!

Ontnative, thank you for your offer.

The search is still on for a US source!
Thanks everyone!
Sheri

If you're loving white and spiky and don't find your fireweed, you might look at long blooming Lysimachia ephemerum - absolutely clump forming, never ever runs. It can be a little hard to find too but not impossible - I see Joy Creek is sold out already but Digging Dog has it and I order from them. Plants, not seeds.

morz8 - Thanks for the suggestion. I've grown L. clethroides (gooseneck) and had to remove it from the garden. Because L. ephemerum is not invasive (per Sunset) it would be perfect for the effect I want. I am SO getting it! I ordered 'Pam's Choice'& 'Camelot White' foxglove seeds from Swallowtail too. Definitely on a white & spiky kick!
Sheri

:) I was afraid 'lysimachia' would strike terror in your soul and you wouldn't look into ephemerum. It won't cause you any grief, I promise....

Thanks for that informative link Ontnative. If it in fact self-pollinates you should have some viable seed or maybe some seedlings, and then they would be white?? Sounds like Fireweed spreads aggressively via rhizomes. Hmmmm. My Physostegia is banished to pots because it spreads too aggressively. I plan to make a "Wild Bed" in the back somewhere for the rampant spreaders and let them duke it out with the Pokeweed, but it's not ready.

Rosa I just bought some Digitalis 'Camelot white' from Swallowtail too. Along with 4 other varieties of Foxglove. I love to grow natives but am enchanted by the gorgeous spires of Foxglove for some reason and want to grow and mix some pretty varieties.

Some other nice white kind of spikey beauties I grow are Phlox maculata 'Flower Power' and P. caroliana 'Miss Lingard'.

morz8 - I can't say that I didn't 'hesitate' for a while before finally doing some 'lysimachia' research! You totally enabled me to place an order with Digging Dog. I've had an ongoing list of wants from them.

terrene - You are the one who enabled me with Swallowtail!
I'm not sure if I can afford to be on this forum!

Thanks so much!
I'm still gonna try the white fireweed seeds someday!