A stand of Rosebay Willowherb, Chamerion angustifolium, on Talbot Heath with a bit of postwork, which makes it look like I see when my eyes are poor! You in the USA know it as Fireweed, A striking wild plant with tall spires of large pink flowers and leaves that grow like a staircase around the stem. Rosebay willowherb is a fine example of a 'pioneer species' - the first plants to colonise a barren area with very little competition (such as the sites of forest fires). For this reason it was a familiar sight following the London Blitz (see below). Distribution Common throughout England, Wales and south-east Scotland. Rarer in Ireland. Habitat As a pioneer plant, rosebay willowherb thrives on waste ground. Late summer, when it flowers: July-September. London has indelible memories of the drifts of this flower in the bomb sites of the second world war. As a pioneer plant it was one of the first to colonise the scarred earth, and its vivid spires were synonymous with London's revival. As such, it was a popular choice as the County Flower of our capital. Today it mingles with buddleias and Michaelmas daisies on railway banks, old walls and waste ground. Info from Plantlife See how purple the heather looks at the moment Here