Fireweed

Fireweed is a perennial wildflower, best known for its breathtaking pink-purple flowers to be found growing in abundant patches. It gets its name because it is one of the first “weeds” to come back after a forest fire. Thanks to its beautiful magenta blooms fireweed is a very easy plant to identify.

The flowers can be harvested to make jelly, but the young shoots of fireweed can also be foraged for food because they make a great substitute for asparagus. You will want to pick them before the leaves start to develop fully and the stems become woody. Like many of the spring shoots, the window for harvesting is very short. The best way to find the shoots is to remember where you have seen them in bloom the past august. If you revisit this area in the spring, you will find them in the same place. Fireweed thrives in dry open areas like meadows, river banks, ditches, cut or burnt over sites.

Fireweed shoots wilt very quickly if you don't enclose them in a plastic container or bag and refrigerate them. You can also stand them upright in a cup of water with a plastic bag over them to extend their shelf life. Cook fireweed shoots as you would asparagus, gently steaming them until just soft. I like to toss them in olive oil with a bit of salt and pepper or season them with garlic and lemon juice, then grill them over coals. They also make great pickles. Spicy fireweed pickles are one of my favourites, seasoned with cayenne or hot peppers. To make a stunning coloured, delicate floral jelly, you harvest the flowers and add equal parts sugar and water, then bring the mixture to a boil, strain through cheesecloth, then add pectin and lemon juice to create fireweed jelly.