Vernonia acaulis

Product Info

Flatwoods Ironweed (Vernonia acaulis)
Aster Family

Flatwoods Ironweed is a robust wildflower that prefers lean, dry-moist soils and is commonly found in the coastal plain and dry woodland edges and meadows. Basal rosettes remain attractive throughout the growing season and can provide groundcover as the plant reseeds in the garden. In late summer, sparsely-leaved stems will grow up to 3' tall and produce heads of feathery magenta flowers that provide nectar for bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. Flowers are followed by numerous seeds attached to tan, hair-like achenes that provide food for birds. Thick stems can be home to stem-nesting insects over winter and through early spring--leave old stems up as long as you can.

Blooms: Purple, 4-5 weeks, July - Aug
Leaves: 4-8" toothed elliptical basal leaves, sparse small leaves along the stem
Height: 3-3.5’
Space: 2-2.5’
Soil: Average-Dry
Exposure:  Full Sun-Part Sun-Part Shade
Fauna: High pollinator value- bees, butterflies, hummingbirds. Birds eat the seeds. Bees nest in dead stems.
Seeds:  Dense, rust-colored achenes, August-October
Deer Resistance: High
Zone: 6-9
Native Status: NC Native, common in Piedmont and Coastal Plain, not present in the Mountains
Provenance: NC, seed grown