Intro: Erect perennial of pastures, bottomlands and stream banks.

Stems: Stems branched in inflorescence, rough-hairy.

Leaves: Leaves alternate and crowded, sessile, narrowly lance-shaped, 4-12 in. long, toothed to entire, slightly rough above and thinly hairy beneath; not appreciably lighter colored beneath.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Composite flowers (heads) in a wide and open, branching terminal cluster; heads purple, 1/4-1/2 in. wide, consisting of 20-65 tubular florets with 5 spreading lobes. Tiny brownish-purple to greenish bracts with needle-like tips surround the urn-shaped base of each head.

Fruits: Fruit a cluster of purplish- to dark-tawny-tufted achenes.

Comments: New York ironweed is a beautiful native perennial found in rich, moist soil in the coastal plain and as far west as Ohio and West Virginia. It grows 3-7 feet tall and has a coarse appearance, with fine hairs on the stems and serrated oblong leaves. Beginning in July and continuing through October, it develops terminal flower heads of a deep purple. Both its long blooming period and its tendency to grow in sizeable clumps make ironweed a great addition to a wild garden. It is especially handsome.

Height: 3-7 ft.

plant sale text: New York ironweed is a robust and striking native perennial. Its vibrant purple blooms are beautiful both for their own attributes and for the butterflies they attract. The open architecture of this plant is topped by many small inflorescences, each of which made up of heads packed with purple flowers. In the wild, this plant can be found in moist to wet meadows, where it may bloom with cardinal flower. Plant with other tall butterfly-attracting perennials such as joe-pye-weed and summer phlox. 2004 N.C. Wildflower of the Year

bloom table text: New York Ironweed is a native perennial found in rich, moist soil in the coastal plain and as far west as Ohio and Tennessee. It grows 3-7 feet tall and has a coarse appearance, with fine hairs on the stems and serrated oblong leaves. Beginning in July and continuing through October, it develops terminal flower heads of a deep purple. Both its long blooming period and its tendency to grow in sizeable clumps make ironweed a great addition to any native garden. As summer progresses the sunlight caught by the tufts of seed is as pretty as the earlier flowers. Mammalian herbivores avoid consumption of this plant because of the bitter taste of the leaves.

description: Erect perennial of pastures, bottomlands and stream banks.

stems: Stems branched in inflorescence, rough-hairy.

leaves: Leaves alternate and crowded, sessile, narrowly lance-shaped, 4-12 in. long, toothed to entire, slightly rough above and thinly hairy beneath; not appreciably lighter colored beneath.

inflorescence:

flowers: Composite flowers (heads) in a wide and open, branching terminal cluster; heads purple, 1/4-1/2 in. wide, consisting of 20-65 tubular florets with 5 spreading lobes. Tiny brownish-purple to greenish bracts with needle-like tips surround the urn-shaped base of each head.

fruits: Fruit a cluster of purplish- to dark-tawny-tufted achenes.

comments: New York ironweed is a beautiful native perennial found in rich, moist soil in the coastal plain and as far west as Ohio and West Virginia. It grows 3-7 feet tall and has a coarse appearance, with fine hairs on the stems and serrated oblong leaves. Beginning in July and continuing through October, it develops terminal flower heads of a deep purple. Both its long blooming period and its tendency to grow in sizeable clumps make ironweed a great addition to a wild garden. It is especially handsome.

cultural notes: The leaves of this plant have an astringent property, and Native Americans of this region used it as a cure for dysentery.

germination code: 2

native range: eastern United States