Epilobium ciliatum

Epilobium ciliatum is a perennial forb occurring in riparian areas, bogs, seeps, wet places, montane and subalpine habitats, disturbed sites, and along coasts worldwide, from North, Central, South America, and East Asia, and as an introduced species in Europe, western Russia, and the Pacific Islands. There are several hundred estimated occurrences of this taxon rangewide, which are threatened by land-use conversion, habitat fragmentation, sedimentation, forest management practices, succession, invasive species, development, logging, deer herbivory, trampling by livestock, rights-of-way construction and maintenance, and likely other threats in some places. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent, high number of occurrences, abundant habitat, broad habitat preferences, preference for disturbance, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, Epilobium ciliatum is considered secure.

Epilobium ciliatum is a globally widespread species. It's native range includes North, Central, South America, and East Asia, and its introduced range includes Europe, western Russia, and the Pacific Islands (FNA 2021). In North America, it is found throughout all of Canada, most of the United States (except for several states in the southeast), and Mexico (FNA 2021, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2025). The native range extent was estimated to be over 80 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected between 1994 and 2025 (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025). See individual entries for distribution details about the three subspecies.

By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are several hundred occurrences in its native range (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).

In the Southeastern United States, Epilobium ciliatum is considered highly threatened by land-use conversion, habitat fragmentation, sedimentation, and forest management practices (Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project 2002). Additional threats include succession, invasive species, development, logging, deer herbivory, trampling by livestock, rights-of-way construction and maintenance, and likely other threats in some places (NatureServe 2025). There is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for this taxon.