Great Willowherb

Nile region, oases and Mediterranean region.

Mediterranean region, Europe, Asia, northeast and southern Africa.

Roadsides, canal banks, swamps.

Perennial.

Foodplant / open feeder
larva of Altica lythri grazes on leaf of Epilobium hirsutum

Foodplant / open feeder
larva of Altica palustris grazes on leaf of Epilobium hirsutum

Foodplant / saprobe
immersed, solitary or grouped, clypeate perithecium of Anthostomella clypeoides is saprobic on dead stem of Epilobium hirsutum
Remarks: season: 10-5

Foodplant / saprobe
immersed, becoming erumpent conidioma of Chaetospermum coelomycetous anamorph of Chaetospermum chaetosporum is saprobic on dead stem of Epilobium hirsutum

Foodplant / saprobe
effuse colony of Chalara dematiaceous anamorph of Chalara urceolata is saprobic on dead stem of Epilobium hirsutum

Foodplant / saprobe
scattered, stalked apothecium of Crocicreas sellingensis is saprobic on dead stem of Epilobium hirsutum

Foodplant / saprobe
scattered, subsessile apothecium of Dasyscyphus castaneus is saprobic on dead stem of Epilobium hirsutum
Remarks: season: 11

Foodplant / saprobe
immersed pycnidium of Phomopsis coelomycetous anamorph of Diaporthe epilobii is saprobic on dead stem of Epilobium hirsutum
Remarks: season: 5

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / saprobe
effuse colony of Dictyosporium dematiaceous anamorph of Dictyosporium toruloides is saprobic on dead stem of Epilobium hirsutum
Remarks: season: 1-12

Plant / associate
adult of Dicyphus epilobii is associated with live Epilobium hirsutum
Remarks: season: mid 7-10+

Foodplant / saprobe
immersed, in small groups, weakly clypeate perithecium of Discostroma tostum is saprobic on dead stem of Epilobium hirsutum
Remarks: season: 3-7

Foodplant / saprobe
solitary or clustered apothecium of Hyalinia dilutella is saprobic on dead stem of Epilobium hirsutum
Remarks: season: 9-10

Foodplant / saprobe
apothecium of Hymenoscyphus repandus is saprobic on dead stem of Epilobium hirsutum
Remarks: season: 5-10

Foodplant / saprobe
apothecium of Lachnum nudipes var. minor is saprobic on dead stem of Epilobium hirsutum

Foodplant / saprobe
long stalked apothecium of Lachnum virgineum is saprobic on dead stem of Epilobium hirsutum
Remarks: season: 2-8

Foodplant / saprobe
sessile apothecium of Lasiobelonium nidulum is saprobic on dead stem of Epilobium hirsutum
Remarks: season: 5-6
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
immersed pseudothecium of Lophiostoma caudatum is saprobic on dead stem of Epilobium hirsutum
Remarks: season: 1-4

Foodplant / saprobe
effuse colony of Sporoschisma dematiaceous anamorph of Melanochaeta aotearoae is saprobic on dead stem of Epilobium hirsutum

Foodplant / saprobe
superficial, scattered on in small groups, thinly subiculate perithecium of Nectria ellisii is saprobic on dead stem of Epilobium hirsutum
Remarks: season: 5-12

Foodplant / saprobe
thinly scattered apothecium of Pezizella punctoidea is saprobic on dead leaf of Epilobium hirsutum
Remarks: season: 7-12

Foodplant / saprobe
effuse colony of Phragmocephala dematiaceous anamorph of Phragmocephala elliptica is saprobic on dead stem of Epilobium hirsutum
Remarks: season: 4-10

Foodplant / saprobe
subcuticular to erumpent conidioma of Pseudolachnea coelomycetous anamorph of Pseudolachnea hispidula is saprobic on dead stem of Epilobium hirsutum
Remarks: season: esp. Winter

Foodplant / parasite
hypophyllous telium of Puccinia epilobii parasitises live leaf of Epilobium hirsutum

Foodplant / pathogen
aecium of Puccinia pulverulenta infects and damages live Epilobium hirsutum

Foodplant / spot causer
hypophyllous colony of Ramularia anamorph of Ramularia epilobiana causes spots on live leaf of Epilobium hirsutum
Remarks: season: 8

Foodplant / saprobe
superficial colony of Sarcopodium dematiaceous anamorph of Sarcopodium circinatum is saprobic on dead stem of Epilobium hirsutum

Foodplant / spot causer
amphigenous, minute, brown pycnidium of Septoria coelomycetous anamorph of Septoria epilobii causes spots on live leaf of Epilobium hirsutum
Remarks: season: 7-8

Foodplant / parasite
cleistothecium of Sphaerotheca epilobii parasitises live Epilobium hirsutum
Remarks: season: 8-10

Foodplant / saprobe
sunken apothecium of Stictis stellata is saprobic on dead stem (woody) of Epilobium hirsutum
Remarks: season: 10-5

Foodplant / open feeder
nocturnal larva of Tenthredo colon grazes on leaf of Epilobium hirsutum

Foodplant / saprobe
apothecium of Unguicularia dilatopilosa is saprobic on dead stem of Epilobium hirsutum
Remarks: season: 11-4

Foodplant / saprobe
sessile apothecium of Unguicularia incarnatina is saprobic on dead stem of Epilobium hirsutum
Remarks: season: 4-7

Foodplant / spot causer
epiphyllous, clustered pseudothecium of Venturia maculiformis causes spots on live leaf of Epilobium hirsutum
Remarks: season: 5-9

The great hairy willow-herb is native to Europe, unlike the evening primrose which originated in North America. In fact, the great hairy willow-herb was eventually exported to the USA. It has many strange local names, such as codlins-and-cream, apple-pie and cherry-pie. It grows throughout the Netherlands along banks, in ditches and reed marshes. Great hairy willow-herb strongly resembles fireweed, however it grows on wetter soils, its leaves are covered entirely with hair and the blossoms stand further apart. Great hairy willow-herb is an important food plant for the elephant hawk-moth.

This is an extremely widespread and variable species that spreads aggressively by vegetative growth in wet habitats.

Populations from Xinjiang tend to have strikingly tomentose pubescence, unlike plants from other regions, but the pattern of variability for entire species obscures these differences, so no subdivision is recognized.

Herbs robust, perennial, sometimes woody near base with long, thick, ropelike hypogeal stolons often terminating in a rosette of leaves. Stems 25-120(-250) cm tall, much branched in upper half, densely villous pubescent, with short glandular hairs especially on inflorescence, rarely sparsely pubescent, or rarely densely white tomentose. Leaves sessile and clasping stem; cauline blade lanceolate-elliptic to narrowly obovate or elliptic, rarely very narrowly lanceolate, 4-12(-23) × 0.3-4(-5) cm, both surfaces villous, very rarely glabrescent, base subcuneate and clasping, margin serrulate with 20-50 teeth per side, apex acute to acuminate. Inflorescence and flowers erect. Sepals 6-12 mm, often keeled. Petals bright pink to dark purple, 8-20 mm. Stigma deeply 4-lobed. Capsules 2.5-9 cm, pubescent or rarely glabrescent; pedicels 0.5-2 cm. Seeds dark brown, 0.8-1.2 mm, coarsely papillose, with inconspicuous chalazal collar; coma tawny or dull white, detaching easily. Fl. Jun-Aug, fr. Jul-Sep. 2n = 36.

Erect robust perennial herb, spreading by thick fleshy rope like runners with scattered cataphylls; stems 0.2-2.5 m tall, well-branched, covered throughout with dense spreading long villous hairs, often mixed with short gland-tipped hairs, especially on upper stems, or rarely much less hairy. Leaves oblong lanceolate or lanceolate, 2-12 x 0.5-4.5 cm, dense villous-pubescent, sometimes mixed with glandular hairs, coarsely serrulate, acute apex, subcuneate base, sessile and clasping. Inflorescence erect and branched. Flowers erect; ovaries densely villous and glandular pubescent, 2.1-3.9 cm long, on pedicels 0.5-1.8 cm long. Sepals 6-l0 x 2-2.8 mm, apiculate, densely pubescent. Petals 6-20 x 6-14 mm, deeply notched, bright rose purple. Styles 5-11 mm long, erect. Stigma deeply 4-lobed and recurved, exserted beyond the anthers. Capsules 3-l0 cm long, on pedicels 0.5-2 cm long, villous. Seeds 0.8-1.2 x 0.4-0.5 mm, rather blunt obovoid, coarsely papillate, with an inconspicuous short chalazal collar; coma 5-7 mm, dull white, detaching easily.

Africa, Europe, Asia Minor, Himalaya, Siberia, China, Japan.

Distribution: Temperate and montane Eurasia and Africa; common in temperate Pakistan and throughout the Himalayan region; adventive in North America.

900-2100 m

A very common plant throughout much of Eurasia in disturbed places. This species varies greatly in amount and type of vestiture. Further study is needed to determine the proper status of glabrous plants from the western Himalaya sometimes segregated as E. hirsutum var. laetum C.B. Clarke. Fl. Per.: Jun-Sep. Fr. Per.: Jul-Sep.

Wet places near streams, ditches, marshes, gravel or sandy beds of rivers, roadsides; (200-)500-2000 m in N China, (100-)500-2800(-3500) m in SW China. Anhui, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Afghanistan, India, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia; widespread in Africa, SW Asia, Europe, and naturalized in North America].

Chamaenerion hirsutum (Linnaeus) Scopoli; Epilobium hirsutum var. laetum Wallich ex C. B. Clarke; E. hirsutum var. sericeum Bentham ex C. B. Clarke; E. hirsutum var. tomentosum (Ventenat) Boissier; E. hirsutum var. villosum (Thunberg) H. Hara; E. tomentosum Ventenat; E. velutinum Nevski (1937), nom. illeg. superfl., not H. Léveillé (1916); E. villosum Thunberg.

Epilobium tomentosum Vent., Descr. Pl. Nouv. Jard. Cels. t. 90. 1802. (Type from Persia, cultivated in France); Epilobium sericeum Benth. ex Wall., Numer. List 216, n. 6325. 1832, nom. nud.; Epilobium laetum Wall., loc. cit., n. 6329. 1832, nom. nud., quoad B.; Epilobium hirsutum L. var. tomentosum (Vent.) Boiss., Fl. Or. 2: 746. 1872; Epilobium hirsutum L. var. sericeum (Benth. ex Wall.) Clarke in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 2: 584. 1879; Aitch. in Journ. Linn. Soc. Bot. 18: 60. 1880; Epilobium hirsutum L. var. laetum (Wall.) Clarke in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 2: 584. 1879.

hirsutum: covered with long, moderately stiff and not interwoven hairs; hirsute

Epilobium hirsutum is a flowering plant belonging to the willowherb genus Epilobium in the family Onagraceae. It is commonly known as the great willowherb, great hairy willowherb or hairy willowherb. Local names include codlins-and-cream, apple-pie and cherry-pie.

Close-up of the flowers