What’s Coming Up In The Garden, 32: New York ironweed

This is such a pretty plant, tall and leaning slightly at maturity with deep fuchsia flowers and seed heads that stay interesting well into the winter. Pollinators, natives, and wildlife friendly too.

While these are quite tall and most would put them at the back of a garden, my front bed only has a short side that is truly at the “back.” It’s bordered on one side by our driveway, and the other by the walkway to our front door, and the piece at the confluence of drive and walkway is where I put these. They are on the lower side of the sloped bed, and tend to lean over the driveway’s edge, and in a way they form a sort of “flagship” effect at the narrowing end of the bed.

They are just coming up now, and it’s hard to believe that by summer’s end they’ll be taller than I am.

I have several clusters in this area and they will be prominent in the next few months. 

More info:

Brundage, Stephanie 

Vernonia noveboracensis

Vernonia noveboracensis (L.) Michx.

New York Ironweed

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

Synonym(s): Vernonia harperi

USDA Symbol: VENO

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

New York ironweed is a tall, clump-forming perennial, growing 5-8 ft. in height. Slightly rough stems bear lance-shaped, deep-green leaves. Small flower heads occur in large, loosely branched, flat-topped, terminal clusters. Flowers are all of the disk type and deep reddish-purple in color. Tall erect stem branches toward the summit, with each branch bearing a cluster of deep lavender to violet flower heads; together, clusters form a loose spray. 

This often roughish plant is common in wet open bottomland fields. It typically has more flowers per head than Tall Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea).