Fireweed
I got up early to photograph the sunrise, but there were no clouds and forest fire smoke obscured the grand landscapes so I drove north on the Icefield Parkway looking to find a place without smoke. Along the way was an area that had been burned previously, resplendent in fireweed, so I stopped and took a few shots of nature reclaiming a forest that burned in prior years.
Fireweed is a pioneer species that quickly colonizes open areas with little competition, such as the sites of forest fires and forest clearings. Plants grow and flower as long as there is open space and plenty of light. Fireweed reaches its average peak colonization after 5 years and then begins to be replaced as trees and brush grow larger.
Source and more info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamaenerion_angustifolium
Fireweed
I got up early to photograph the sunrise, but there were no clouds and forest fire smoke obscured the grand landscapes so I drove north on the Icefield Parkway looking to find a place without smoke. Along the way was an area that had been burned previously, resplendent in fireweed, so I stopped and took a few shots of nature reclaiming a forest that burned in prior years.
Fireweed is a pioneer species that quickly colonizes open areas with little competition, such as the sites of forest fires and forest clearings. Plants grow and flower as long as there is open space and plenty of light. Fireweed reaches its average peak colonization after 5 years and then begins to be replaced as trees and brush grow larger.
Source and more info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamaenerion_angustifolium