Volume 29 Issue 3, Summer 2024

by Kim Strader and Sheila Ferguson

Beautiful and beneficial New York Ironweed. Photo by S.A. Ferguson

When New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis) is in bloom, it is one of our most vibrant, eye-catching native plants. The clusters of purplish flowers at the top of the plant bloom between July and September, attracting butterflies and other native pollinators. The seeds are eaten by songbirds, and it is the host plant for the American Lady butterfly.

New York Ironweed is a tall, narrow plant that can reach 6 feet or more in height and is deer resistant. In nature, you’ll find it growing in moist roadside ditches, meadows, and pastures. While not abundant at JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary, these plants are scattered about the meadows.

Ironweeds are easily grown in a sunny garden. Although they prefer moist soil, they will grow in drier conditions and, once established, require little care. They also readily self-sow, so over time you’ll find them appearing elsewhere in your garden.

The source of the common name has been attributed to the “rust” color of the seeds’ pappus (which function as parachutes for wind dispersal). This description, however, does not do justice to the attractiveness of the seed heads. They are especially lovely when the late afternoon sun hits the fluffy parachutes of the seed heads, giving them a golden russet glow.

Kim Strader is the former assistant curator of the Native Plant Trail at the State Arboretum of Virginia at Blandy Experimental Farm. Sheila Ferguson serves on the steering committee for Plant NOVA Natives.

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