Dwarf fireweed (paunnat, river beauty)
Chamerion latifolium
Magenta flowers on gravel bars; leaves, shoots and flowers are eaten fresh or as tea, and it is Greenland's national flower.
Hardiness: zones 1 to 6
Light: full sun
Size: about 1 ft tall, 2 ft wide
Harvest: June to August
From: Arctic and mountain river gravels of the Northern Hemisphere
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food, pollinators.
Native to: Alaska, Western Canada, Eastern Canada, Northern Europe & the taiga, Rockies & Great Basin. Hardy in zones 1 to 6.
The story
Dwarf fireweed, or river beauty, lights up Arctic river bars and glacier gravels with broad magenta flowers. Inuit call it paunnat and eat the leaves, shoots and flowers fresh, in salads with seal oil or steeped as tea. In Greenland it is the national flower, niviarsiaq, the little girl.
Planting
Full sun in cool, moist, sandy or gravelly soil with good drainage. Sow fresh seed on the surface in autumn, or plant divisions in spring.
Growing
It spreads slowly by underground stems into a low clump, much better behaved than tall fireweed. Keep it cool and evenly moist.
Harvest and use
Pick young shoots and leaves in early summer and flowers when they open. Eat them fresh, add them to salads or dry the leaves for tea.
What to watch for
Short-lived in warm climates. Aphids on soft growth in sheltered spots.
See if Dwarf fireweed (paunnat, river beauty) fits your yard
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More native and wild plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home