Vernonia lettermanni / Bushy Ironweed (Aster Family)

This is the perfect ironweed for the smaller garden. Coming in at around 2’ feet, this much smaller, midwest cousin of our taller ironweeds is still a pollinator magnet. The foliage of this ironweed is also a standout–the needle-like foliage is a dark green and adds dramatic texture to the garden. This plant is extremely drought tolerant once established and can tolerate a range of poor soils. It will hybridize with our native ironweeds and produce lots of seedlings, so deadhead if re-seeding is not desired. Try with butterfly milkweed, sweet joe-pye, cherokee sedge, or blazing stars.

Blooms: Purple, 4-5 weeks, July-Sept
Leaves: Very narrow, dark green leaves spiral up the whole stem until the flower
Height: 2’
Space: 3’
Soil: Average-Dry, rocky/sandy
Exposure:  Full sun
Fauna: High pollinator value, attracting many types of pollinators
Seeds: Tan, dense achenes look attractive on the plant through winter
Deer Resistance: High
Zone:4-9
Native Status: Arkansas & Oklahoma native
Provenance: Arkansas, seed grown