What are now tiny and tightly clustered bundles of pale pink buds will, as summer progresses, transform into tall stalks of hot pink flowers.
These plants are already nearly three feet high. The longest leaves are about six inches right now, and the tiny buds are a mere 1/2" across or less. They're almost unnoticeable in the tall wash of green they stand in.
These flowers are so beautiful it's terribly hard to call them weeds.
They adorn the sides of roads and, come August, they blanket hillsides with vibrant color.
Their stems continue growing and until they're several feet high. The flower stalks themselves are about 10-12 inches. Blooms appear from the bottom of the stalk first and as summer progresses blooms make their way up to the tip. Alaska wisdom observes when the fireweed has "bloomed out." Last summer our friends, The Bear and Miss K, told us they expected an early winter because the fireweed had bloomed out in early August. Sure enough. Alaska had an early winter, and a cold, snowy, long one.
I've never seen them this way before, with just a tiny bit of color. It's fun to see the beginning.
I'm interested to continue documenting the blooming of the fireweed out our back door.
I'll keep showing you the progress of these two stems.
Can you believe that we used to grow this in the herbaceous borders at Compton Acres Gardens? And yet it grows wild where you are, such an amazing and wonderful part of the world Judy. Do you by any chance need a couple of live in gardeners? We would work just for food and lodgings!!!
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