Epilobium hirsutum L.
Codlins And Cream
Great willowherb is a tall, robust native perennial of damp places, the largest of our willowherbs and a familiar sight along riverbanks, ditches, pond margins, marshes and damp waste ground through the summer. Reaching up to around two metres, it spreads by creeping roots to form dense, leafy stands of softly hairy, upright stems clothed in opposite, lance-shaped leaves.
About
Great willowherb is a tall, robust native perennial of damp places, the largest of our willowherbs and a familiar sight along riverbanks, ditches, pond margins, marshes and damp waste ground through the summer. Reaching up to around two metres, it spreads by creeping roots to form dense, leafy stands of softly hairy, upright stems clothed in opposite, lance-shaped leaves. From July into August it carries large, showy flowers of rich rosy-purple, each with a notched petal and a contrasting pale, creamy centre that gives rise to its old country name, codlins and cream.
It thrives in full sun or light shade on moist to wet, fertile ground, tolerating heavy soils and seasonal flooding. The nectar-rich blooms are valuable to bees, hoverflies and other pollinating insects, and the later silky, plumed seeds drift on the wind. Vigorous and quick to colonise, it suits naturalistic planting around water, damp meadow edges and wildlife areas rather than tidy borders, where it can crowd more delicate neighbours.
Also known as
Great Hairy Willowherb · Great Willowherb · hairy willowherb
Synonyms
Chamaenerion grandiflorum · Chamaenerion hirsutum · Epilobium amplexicaule · Epilobium aquaticum · Epilobium dubium · Epilobium foliosum · Epilobium grandiflorum · Epilobium himalense · Epilobium hirsutum albiflorum · Epilobium hirsutum alboroseum
Beta — under active development. This catalogue is still being built and accuracy-checked. The information here (including plant identifications, British native status, soil and sun/shade preferences) is provided in good faith for general guidance only and may contain errors or omissions. It must not be relied upon on its own — please confirm details with us before making planting, specification, foraging or purchasing decisions, and never eat or medicinally use any plant based on this catalogue alone, as some species are toxic. To the extent permitted by law, Phoenix Amenity Supplies accepts no liability for any loss arising from use of this information.