Pronounced: ep-ih-LOW-bee-um her-SOO-tum
Rose-pink flowers with a conspicuous white, four-part stigma rise among hairy stems and toothed leaves. Also called Great Willowherb or Codlins and Cream, this introduced wetland plant can form dense colonies.
Hairy Willowherb: four notched petals and a pale, cross-shaped stigma. Select the photo to open the gallery.
Family: Onagraceae
Life cycle: Perennial
Blooms: Mid–late summer
Height: About 3–6 feet
Habitat: Sunny wet ground, ditches and stream margins
Explore reported observations. Sightings are not a complete range map.
Look in open wet habitats, including ditch banks and stream margins. Flowers appear in summer, followed by elongated capsules. This species spreads through seeds and underground rhizomes.
Compare with Fringed Willowherb and Purple-leaf Willowherb, which have much smaller flowers. Fireweed has alternate leaves and a terminal flower raceme.
The four pink petals have notched tips. The pale stigma splits into four spreading lobes, a useful feature visible in the close-up photographs.
The stem and leaf surfaces are hairy. Narrow, pointed leaves have toothed edges and little or no leaf stalk; many occur in opposite pairs.
Long, narrow capsules develop beneath the flowers. When mature, they open to release seeds with silky hairs. Rhizomes also allow established patches to expand.
4 field photographs showing flower details, buds, developing capsules and foliage. Select a photograph to enlarge it and browse the slideshow.
Native to Eurasia and North Africa; introduced in North America. Wisconsin DNR identifies Hairy Willowherb as an invasive species capable of forming dense stands in wetlands and along waterways. See the DNR species page for current guidance.
Observation maps show submitted records, not every place the plant occurs. Follow local access rules when visiting a site.
Explore wetlands, streamside habitats, or the plant identification visual guide.
Field photographs: Where’s Wildlife.
Wisconsin DNR: Hairy Willow Herb · NC State Extension: Hairy Willowherb
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