Vernonia noveboracensis (New York Ironweed) seed heads in October. Photo by Elaine L. Mills, 2014-10-30, Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
Fluffy deep purple blooms atop 8-foot tall sturdy stalks draw bees and butterflies from mid-summer into fall. This member of the daisy family is at home in fields, along stream banks, and in freshwater marshes. The Virginia Native Plant Society named New York Ironweed Wildflower of the Year in 1995. Learn more . . .