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Epilobium coloratum

cinnamon willowherb

Onagraceae Central and eastern North America

Attracts Pollinators

Native to North America

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterHigh

HardinessZones 3–8

Overview

Epilobium coloratum is an erect perennial herb in the evening-primrose family (Onagraceae), growing 8-36 inches (20-90 cm) tall on slender, much-branched stems that often take on reddish tints. The lance-shaped leaves are 1-4 inches (2.5-10 cm) long, narrow, finely toothed along the margins, and frequently marked with colored veins, a feature behind the species name coloratum. Small four-petaled flowers 0.1-0.2 inch (3-5 mm) across open in the upper leaf axils and branch tips, the notched petals pale pink to nearly white. Each flower sits atop a long, narrow ovary that lengthens into a slender capsule up to 2-3 inches (5-8 cm) long. When ripe, the capsule splits to release many tiny seeds, each carried on a tuft of tawny, cinnamon-colored hairs that gives the plant its common name. Stems rise each year from a short crown and overwintering basal shoots. One limitation in the garden is its prolific self-seeding, which lets it spread quickly across damp ground.

Native Range

Epilobium coloratum is native to central and eastern North America, ranging across much of the United States and southern Canada. It grows in wet meadows, marsh edges, ditches, streambanks, and other moist to wet open ground.

Suggested Uses

This species is used in rain gardens, wet meadow plantings, and the margins of ponds and streams where moist soil is reliable. Its small flowers draw bees and other insects. In a reference context it represents the willowherb group of the Onagraceae.

How to Identify

Identification rests on slender, branched, often reddish stems with narrow, finely toothed lance-shaped leaves that frequently show colored veins. The tiny four-petaled flowers are pale pink to white with notched petals, set above long, narrow ovaries. The clinching feature is the seed tuft: ripe capsules release seeds carried on cinnamon-tinged hairs rather than the white hairs of related willowherbs.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height8" - 3'

Width/Spread8" - 1'6"

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~10 weeks

Summer Fall

Flowering occurs from midsummer into fall, roughly July through September. The small pink to white flowers open a few at a time over a long period. Slender capsules follow and split to scatter the cinnamon-haired seeds on the wind.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

pale pink to white

Foliage Description

green, often with reddish veins

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam peat clay

Drainagewet

Water & Climate

Water Needs

High

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

1-2 years

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Epilobium coloratum grows in full sun to partial shade in consistently moist to wet soil, from loam to mucky organic ground. It withstands seasonal flooding and tolerates the saturated soils of marsh and ditch margins. Plants establish readily from seed and form short-lived crowns that may persist a few years. No fertilizer is needed in the rich, damp sites it favors. Because seed production is heavy, volunteers appear freely wherever bare wet soil opens up. Removing spent stems before the capsules ripen reduces self-sowing.

Pruning

Pruning is limited to cutting back spent flowering stems. Removing stems before the capsules split curbs seed spread, while leaving them allows the plant to self-sow. Dead stems can be cleared in late winter ahead of new spring growth.