FIREWEED : Clearcut Queen
“And only where the forest fires have sped,
Scorching relentlessly the cool north lands,
A sweet wildflower lifts its purple head,
And, like some gentle spirit sorrow-fed,
It hides the scars with almost human hands.”
- Tekahionwake (Pauline Johnson)
Fireweed, the Clearcut Queen, majestic magenta prisms of hope and life. Fireweed grows and thrives in the ashes of destruction, after forest fires or logging have claimed the soil. Fireweed readily colonizes and heals the land, rarely growing alone, instead spreading rhizomatically and forming vast kindred colonies of towering pink blossoms. Fireweed is a pioneer plant, reducing erosion and landslides with their root systems, providing ground cover to small animals and food for elk and deer who snack on newly budding stems. They stand six feet or higher, and are often in stark contrast to the backdrop of charred blackened timber or a suddenly clear cut hillside. They add softness and life; their flowers attracting pollinators and their resilient spirit reminding us that life grows from death, always.
The First Woman of the Tlinget people, Asintmah initially appeared near the Athabasca River in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. As Earth Mother, she walked over the land, collecting fallen branches to make her loom. Asintmah wove a blanket from the fibers of fireweed, the willow herb loved by Earth. Then she gathered the sacred cover and walked in all four directions, spreading it over Earth’s body. Finally, Asintmah wove threads of music and sang as Earth heaved and birthed her children, bringing Mouse, Rabbit, Cougar, Caribou and all the other animals onto the land.
Another Turtle Island legend tells of a maiden who rescues her lover in captivity by a neighboring tribe. Before he was about to be tortured, she set fire to the forest around the camp, and as the tribe fled, she carried her wounded love and ran through the woods, though he was heavy. Wherever her moccasins touched the ground, a flame sprang up driving the enemy back. As the tribe gave up the chase, fireweed sprang up through the blackened earth.
Fireweed has a long history of working beside native peoples as a food, fiber and medicine. The Cree call her ‘ihkapaskwa’, and know her flowering coincides with the fattening of moose and mating season. The Haida peel the young shoots and eat them to purify the blood and “move stuff around one’s insides” - a reference to the laxative and tonic effects on digestion.
Fireweed is a traditional Quinault food and an important source of fiber. The cottony fluff that emerges from Fireweed seeds can be spun into cord to be used as string, or sometimes mixed with other fibers to be woven into blankets. The stems are a stronger source of cordage that are used as fishing line or twine. Young reddish shoots are a spring time delicacy with a unique sweet taste reminiscent of asparagus. They are best harvested young as the plant becomes more bitter and fibrous as they age.
Across the sea the Kamtschadalis of eastern Russia boiled Fireweed, (named “kipri”), with fish and used the leaves as tea. The inner pith was scraped out with shells, tied in bundles and sun-dried. It was then boiled into a thick, sweet wort and used to make Quaffe, a fermented drink of malted rye, flour and wild mint.
In Siberia, a drink of fermented fireweed leaves known as Koporye tea or “Ivan Chai” dates back to at least the 12th century. It was popularized as a tea and at one point exported to England and Europe as a more economical black tea substitute compared to the Chinese tea that had taken over the market. There are some claims of a smear campaign by the East India Trading company (not surprising) to reduce competition in the market which led to its use being limited to Russia. It is considered a national drink of the country and has gained popularity in recent years due to the health benefits and longstanding tradition.
Fireweed is a member of the Onagraceae (Evening Primrose) Family. Other common names include willowherb, giant willow seed, and rosebay willow. The leaves are dark green above and silvery underneath, with a prominent light colored vein running through the middle that is characteristic of primrose family plants. Fireweed begins flowering from the bottom up, each blossom lasting only two days. On the first day, it produces sticky turquoise colored pollen, and on the second no pollen, but is receptive to fertilization and gives off a strong fragrance from its nectar. A single fireweed plant can produce up to 80,000 seeds that fly on the wind like fluffy cotton feathers for as far as 100 miles. Fireweed also reproduces underground through rhizomatic lateral shoots, ensuring that life will continue one way or another.
One of my favorite things about Fireweed, and pioneer plants in general, is that when the work is done, they humbly take a backseat and allow other wildflowers and competing vegetation to participate. After a burn, Fireweed might be the only plant for miles, and they tend to reach peak dominance a few years after the burn. But as the land heals and the spruce-fir forests return, fireweed begins to modestly retreat beneath the forest canopy.
Fireweed is another abundant and accessible plant of the west coast that deserves more recognition in modern herbalism. Often growing and stretching across miles, quick to reach maturity, and easy to identify and harvest; Fireweed is a pillar of my materia medica.
Energetically Fireweed is cooling and soothing, and their taste is sweet, sour, and bitter. They are rich in antioxidants benefiting all body systems and contain 90 times the Vitamin A and 4 times the Vitamin C of oranges.
Clinical trials have proven Fireweed to be powerfully anti-inflammatory both topically and internally. They inhibit the growth of candida and yeast infections in cases acute and systemic. Particularly healing after taking a course of antibiotics where both the gut and vaginal flora are disrupted. Fireweed is also effective against Staphylococcus and E. coli bacteria.
Topically, Fireweed is wonderful at treating burns, eczema, rashes, psoriasis. Fireweed hydrosol shows anti-microbial effects against a number of bacteria including Propionibacterium, associated with pimples and acne.
Fireweed tincture carries the anti-inflammatory properties and works well for folks with arthritis, pain due to inflammation and migraines.
Preparing the leaves as a tea, Fireweed soothes stomach problems like ulcers, gastritis, colitis or “irritable bowel”. Infusions are both demulcent and astringent and are soothing in cases of diarrhea or hemorrhoids. Drunk consistently, you can see remarkable benefits to these conditions - the trick is harvesting enough leaves to last a month or more.
When harvesting fireweed, first ensure the patch is hardy enough to withstand the harvest. This is usually not a problem, but if you come across a smaller patch I would leave them be and seek out more prolific growth. You can harvest the flowers as soon as they begin to open, and they make a lovely sun-infused herbal oil or infused honey.
When harvesting leaves for tea, I prefer to pick my way down the stem gathering the bright and green leaves and stopping when they start to discolor. When only harvesting leaves, you can leave the stalk and flowers instead of snipping the stem so that pollination will still occur. You can use the fresh leaves for tea or dry them for later. The dried Fireweed leaves have a rather bland and neutral taste, which is great for children with bouts of diarrhea that need something gentle on the stomach, but not as delightful for the culinary seeker. For those up for a bit of work, the leaves can be oxidized and rolled, creating a robust fruity and complex flavor that rivals even the greatest Oolong Tea (minus the caffeine kick).
FERMENTED FIREWEED TEA
On a lovely July morning, collect a generous pile of Fireweed leaves and prepare a comfortable place where you’ll be sitting and rolling leaves. You’ll also need a container with a lid where the leaves will ferment. Depending on how hot the day is, I like to let the leaves wilt a bit before rolling. You want a bit of wilt, but keep them out of the sun so they don’t dry up. If the vein running through the leaf bends and doesn’t snap, then they are good to go.
Gather a few leaves in your hands and roll them around until they form a tight ball. The goal is to bruise the leaves, leaving your hands stained green and the leaves moist and wrapped in a tight mass. Place the bruised roll in your container and repeat. It will take some time depending on how much tea you’d like to make and is fun to do with a friend so you can chat and pass the time.
When all of your leaves are rolled, place the lid on your container and set somewhere out of direct sunlight. It will take 2-3 days to ferment, and you should move them around a few times a day to discourage mold and get a bit of airflow. The ideal environment is humid enough that they won’t dry out, but not so humid that they mold. Discard any moldy leaves you find.
The leaves will turn a deep, almost black, green and smell deliciously fruity when ready. You now want to stop the fermentation and dry them out to be stored. My preferred method is to sun dry them, although you could also dry them in an oven for around 20 minutes, watching closely. I let the sun do the work, and after a few hours they are cracker dry and ready to pack away. The tea will keep for up to two years in a cool, dry place. You only need one or two rolls per infusion, and similar to brewing Oolong, the leaves can be steeped multiple times extracting differing flavor notes.
