Onagraceae

Dwarf willowherb

Epilobium obscurum Schreb.

Family: Onagraceae
Genus: Epilobium

Pet and kid safety: not checked yet. Check pet-safe plants

Dwarf willowherb (Epilobium obscurum) — FlowerPhoto: Colin Meurk, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

Is yours looking unwell? Scan your plant — free

Common names

By language (13)

Czech: Vrbovka tmavá
Dutch: Donkergroene basterdwederik
English: Dwarf willowherb, Short-fruited willowherb
Esperanto: Malsekema epilobio
Estonian: Tume pajulill
Finnish: Tummahorsma
French: Epilobe vert foncé, Épilobe foncé, Épilobe vert foncé
German: Dunkelgrünes Weidenröschen
hsb: Ćěmna wjerbinka
Norwegian Bokmål: Mørkmjølke
Russian: Кипрей сомнительный, Кипрей тёмный
Swedish: Mörk dunört
Welsh: Helyglys byrgodog

Synonyms

Chamaenerion obscurum Schreb.
Chamaenerion obscurum (Schreb.) Ehrh.
Chamaenerion ramosissimum Moench
Epilobium ambiguum Fr.
Epilobium anagallidifolium var. diffusum Samp.
Epilobium chordorrhizum Fr.
Epilobium decumbens Dumort.
Epilobium erectum Petrie
Epilobium fennicum Laest. ex Hausskn.
Epilobium foliosum Dörfl.
Epilobium gemmascens Lange
Epilobium gemmiferum Willk. & Lange
Epilobium gillotii H.Lév.
Epilobium junceum subsp. macrophyllum Hausskn.
Epilobium madeirense Hausskn.
Epilobium miguelense H.Lév.
Epilobium obscurum f. crassicaule E.S.Marshall
Epilobium obscurum subsp. virgatum (Lam.) Nyman
Epilobium obscurum var. foliosum Ficinus
Epilobium obscurum var. herminicum Samp.
Epilobium obscurum var. molleri H.Lév.
Epilobium obscurum var. pseudopalustre P.Monts.
Epilobium palustre var. virgatum (Lam.) Hartm.
Epilobium purpurascens Gilib.
Epilobium ramosissimum Hegetschw.
Epilobium tetragonum Pollich
Epilobium tetragonum prol. leveilleananum Rouy & E.G.Camus
Epilobium tetragonum prol. obscurum (Schreb.) Samp.
Epilobium tetragonum subsp. gillotii H.Lév.
Epilobium tetragonum subsp. obscurum (Schreb.) Hook.f.
Epilobium tetragonum subsp. virgatum (Lam.) Bonnier & Layens
Epilobium tetragonum var. herminicum (Samp.) Samp.
Epilobium tetragonum var. lucidum Rouy & E.G.Camus
Epilobium tetragonum var. obscurum (Schreb.) Gaudin
Epilobium tetragonum var. virgatum (Lam.) Wahlenb.
Epilobium virgatum Lam.
Epilobium virgatum f. albiflora Merino
Epilobium virgatum f. friesanum Merino
Epilobium virgatum var. albiflora Merino

Flowers

In flower: February, June to November (from 44 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Forb/herb
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Lower 48 states: introduced

Photos

FlowerPhoto: Colin Meurk, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Jon Sullivan, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Alice Shanks, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Louis Imbeau, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Stephen James McWilliam, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Rode Luro, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Carlos Aguiar, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Robin Rearahinagh, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Julia Palmer, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Samuel Brown, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Robin Rearahinagh, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF

More in Epilobium

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.