Erechtites hieracifolia (L.) Raf. ex DC.， orth. var.
Erechtites hieraciifolius (L.) Raf. ex DC.
American burnweed, fireweed, pilewort
American burnweed is native to the Americas, and now found in China, southeast Asia, and Europe. An aggressive weed in its native habitats, it borders on invasive in non-native areas.
Plants: Fast-growing hardy annual weeds are 3–6½′ (1–2 m) high, with multiple hairy stems.
Leaves: Alternate, lanceolate or elliptical, with sharp lobes, up to 1–8″ long ⨉ 3″ wide (3–20 ⨉ 7.6 cm), and edged with fine serrations. Crushed leaves smell unpleasant.
Flowers: Panicles of inconspicuous, cream-colored, white, or pale yellow flowers. Buds are nearly cylindrical, with a bulge at the base.
Fruits: A spherical array of tiny brown achenes, each with its own miniature parachute, like dandelions.
Habitats: A pioneer species—an early colonizer of land after fires, disturbed soils, roadsides, pastures, wetland margins, and brackish salt marshes and flats.
Edibility: Young leaves are edible raw or cooked, though variously described as “pungent,” “intensely flavored,” and “a bold and versatile herb.”
Medical: Used by some indigenous cultures to treat rashes from poison ivy or poison sumac.
Online References:
Erechtites hieraciifolia (L.) Raf. ex DC.， orth. var.
Erechtites hieracifolia (L.) Raf. ex DC.， orth. var.
Erechtites hieracifolia (L.) Raf. ex DC.， orth. var.
8/16/2012 · Mt. Tom State Reservation, Reservation Road, Holyoke, Massachusetts · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 20 cm) 
9/2/2017 · Rocky Ridge Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire · ≈ 6 × 10″ (16 × 24 cm) 
9/10/2016 · Arlington St., Groton, Massachusetts 
9/2/2017 · Rocky Ridge Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire · ≈ 6 × 4″ (14 × 10 cm) 
9/2/2017 · Rocky Ridge Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (12 × 18 cm) 
9/27/2025 · Lobster Cove, Monhegan Island, Maine · ≈ 1 × 2′ (38 × 57 cm) 
9/28/2011 · Groton Place and Sabine Woods, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 4½ × 4″ (11 × 10 cm) 
ID is uncertain 
8/9/2025 · Garcelon Bog, Lewiston, Maine · ≈ 10 × 7″ (25 × 17 cm) 
8/9/2025 · Garcelon Bog, Lewiston, Maine · ≈ 8 × 6″ (21 × 14 cm) 
8/9/2025 · Garcelon Bog, Lewiston, Maine · ≈ 6 × 8″ (14 × 19 cm) 
9/27/2025 · Lobster Cove, Monhegan Island, Maine · ≈ 1½ × 2½′ (48 × 72 cm) 
9/27/2025 · Lobster Cove, Monhegan Island, Maine · ≈ 1½ × 2½′ (54 × 81 cm) 
9/10/2016 · Arlington St., Groton, Massachusetts 
9/10/2016 · Arlington St., Groton, Massachusetts 
9/2/2017 · Rocky Ridge Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire · ≈ 5 × 3″ (12 × 8.4 cm) 
9/10/2016 · Arlington St., Groton, Massachusetts 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Asteridae | A large class that encompasses asters |
| Order | Asterales | Flowering plants with a central disk flower and surrounding petals, like daisies |
| Family | Asteraceae | The aster family, which also includes daisies and sunflowers; from the Greek ἀστήρ, “star,” for the star-shaped flowers |
| Genus | Erechtites | Possibly from the Greek erechtho, “to rend or break,” referring to the dissected leaves, or to Erechtheus, a fabled king of Athens |
| Species | hieraciifolius | With leaves like Hieracium, hawkweeds |
Erechtites hieraciifolius description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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