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Asteraceae
Ironweed
Vernonia noveboracensis
Strength, persistence, royalty.
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Genus
- Vernonia
- Native to
- Eastern North America
- Bloom season
- Late Summer, Fall
- Type
- Herbaceous perennial
- Height
- 150–240 cm
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil
- Moist, fertile
- Water
- Moderate to high
- Hardiness
- 5–9
- Lifespan
- Long-lived perennial
Did you know
- Ironweed gets its name from its tough, iron-strong stems that resist wind and weather without flopping — and from rusty-colored seed heads that follow the flowers.
- The flowers are an electric royal purple so saturated they almost glow against the late-summer green of meadows.
- It's one of the most important late-season nectar plants for monarchs, swallowtails, fritillaries, and bumblebees.
- Cattle famously refuse to eat ironweed, which is why it dominates overgrazed pastures across the Midwest and Southeast — a sign of poor pasture management.
- Native Americans used different parts of the plant medicinally — for stomach trouble, postpartum pain, and bleeding.
Color meanings
Purple
Unbreakable spirit