Rosebay Willowherb

This very well-known wild flower can easily grow 2 m high in moist conditions. Here in the Biesbosch, bees buzz with joy to feast on all the nectar produced by the light pink flowers. The flowers bloom in long tails from bottom to top; when the plant is still flowering at the top, it has already formed seeds at the bottom. We don't have to worry that this fantastic plant will ever die out...
The flowers, leaves, roots, and stems are all edible. Eat the young leaves raw or cooked; very young shoots could easily replace thin asparagus. I would always use stems cooked and preferably peeled; they thicken your soup and are slightly laxative. Eat the flowers in bud and raw in salads. From the dried leaves, you can make a (slightly) sweet tea, which is called “Kaporie tea” in Russia.
In phytotherapy, the herb is mainly known as a home remedy for minor intestinal problems, and for external use against inflammation and pain relief.

Names:
Latin: Epilobium angustifolium, or also Chamerion angustifolium
Dutch: Wilgenroosje
Also known as: Knikkend Wilgenroosje or Bastaardwederik
English: Willow Herb