Skip to content

Tall Ironweed

Tall ironweed flowers
Photo credit: Greg Hume

Tall Ironweed
(Vernonia gigantea)

Height:

  • 3 to 7 feet

Bloom:

  • August to September

Classification:

  • Native
  • Perennial

Sun:

  • Full sun to part shade

Soil moisture:

  • Medium to moist

Provides food for:

  • Honey bees (flowers)
  • Native bees (flowers)
  • Butterflies (flowers)
  • Hummingbirds (flowers, insects)
  • Caterpillars (foliage)
  • Songbirds (seeds, caterpillars and other insects)

Notes:

  • Excellent fall nectar source
  • Spreads by rhizomes
  • May become aggressive in small gardens

Native Range:

USDA range map for tall ironweed
Map credit: USDA Plants Database

Relevant Backyard Ecology Resources: