A tall (5–8 ft) wildflower with brilliant purple-magenta flowers in late summer. Among the most pollinator-valuable native plants — bumble bees, swallowtails, and clearwing moths cluster densely on the blooms.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
Vernonia noveboracensis, the New York ironweed or vein-leaf hawkweed, is a plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the eastern United States, from Florida to Massachusetts and west to Tennessee, Alabama, and West Virginia and to southern Ontario.
Source: Wikipedia — Vernonia noveboracensis Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Tall plant with lance-shaped leaves; brilliant magenta-purple flower clusters in late summer.
Similar species. Other Vernonia species. Joe-Pye Weed (different shape).
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. N/A — photosynthesis
Behavior. Tall native perennial with magenta flowers. Important late-season pollinator plant.
§ Range
Eastern US
§ Habitat
Wet meadows, ditches, stream banks
§ Threats
Wetland loss, lawn-centric yards, herbicide drift.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the new york ironweed is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Plant in damp garden corners. Support wetland protection. Skip herbicides.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Vernonia noveboracensis
- www.nwf.org — authoritative profile of Vernonia noveboracensis
- iNaturalist · taxon 75879
- IUCN Red List — search for Vernonia noveboracensis
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Vernonia noveboracensis
§ Sources cited
- USDA Plants Database
- Xerces Society
