Vernonia angustifolia

Common Names

Tall Ironweed, Narrow-Leaf Ironweed

Summary

Tall ironweed (Vernonia angustifolia) is a Southeast U.S. native herbaceous perennial that grows in dry habitats such as sandhills, open woodlands, pine flatwoods, roadsides, and pine barrens, reaching about 2–4 feet tall with green, pubescent stems and numerous linear leaves about 3–6 inches long and less than 1 inch wide; it features magenta-purple flower heads arranged in corymbs, each head containing 9–30 purple disc florets, blooming in summer, and produces dry cypselae with a conspicuous pappus, attracting butterflies and bees. For cultivation, it tolerates full sun to partial shade and prefers well-drained sandy or loamy soils, is drought-tolerant and adaptable to poor soils, and can be propagated by seed or division; it self-seeds readily if not deadheaded, so deadheading is recommended to curb spread, and it is suitable for wildflower meadows, prairie or meadow mixes, back borders, and naturalized landscapes, with USDA hardiness zones 7a–9b.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

2-4 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 8a-9b

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full Sun to partial shade.

Soil Type

Dry, well-drained sandy soil

Soil Drainage

Well-drained (xeric) soil, tolerating occasional dryness.

Soil pH

Acidic to neutral

Bloom Color

Purple

Bloom Time

Summer

Foliage Color

Green, Dark green

Seasons of Interest

Summer, Fall, Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees and butterflies