Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia

Promoting environmentally sound gardening practices for over 35 years!

Phlox Subulata (moss pink) in landscape. Photo © Elaine Mills
You are here: Home / Plants / Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic / Perennials / Vernonia noveboracensis (New York Ironweed)

Vernonia noveboracensis (New York Ironweed)

Vernonia noveboracens (New York Ironweed) new growth in April.
Vernonia noveboracens (New York Ironweed) flower buds in July.
New York ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis)
Vernonia noveboracens (New York Ironweed) in residential landscape in July.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (dark form female) butterfly on Ironweed
Vernonia noveboracensis (New York Ironweed) flowers with Zabulon skipper mid-summer. Photo © Mary Free, 2010-08-27, Quarry Shade Garden, Bon Air Park
Monarch butterfly feeding on Vernoni noveboracens - New York Ironweed
Vernonia noveboracens (New York Ironweed)
Vernonia noveboracens - New York Ironweed seed heads

Note: Click on images to see enlarged photos, captions, and photo attributions.
On a mobile phone, click on the information symbol (circle with a letter ℹ︎ symbol).

Vernonia noveboracensis (New York Ironweed) Perennial Height: 31⁄2–8 feet Spread: 3–4 feet Bloom Color: Red-violet to purple Characteristics Several erect stems arise from a single crown Rough, lance-shaped leaves grow on sturdy stems Brilliant composite flowers in terminal clusters on branched stems bloom from August to October Flowers followed by rust-color seed clusters Spreads by rhizome and seed Attributes Tolerates clay soil and wet soil; no serious pests or diseases; deer rarely damage Stout stems often persist throughout the winterEthnobotanic usesAttracts bees and butterflies to the flowers and birds to the seed heads; larval host to American Lady butterfly Growing and Maintenance Tips Soil Requirements: Slightly acidic loam Light Requirements: Sun, Partial Shade Water Requirements: Moist, Wet Plant height can be reduced by cutting back stems nearly to ground in late spring Remove spent flower heads to control self-seeding Use at the back of borders and in butterfly, meadow, and rain gardens Despite its name, it is not abundant in NY. Rather, it is primarily concentrated in NY’s Hudson Valley Region, NYC and Long Island and absent in much the rest of the state. In PA, it is absent in the northern counties bordering NY. Hardiness: USDA Zones 5–9 Excellent Replacement for Buddleia species - Butterfly Bush Lythrum salicaria - Purple Loosestrife

Tried and True Native Plant Selections
 for the Mid-Atlantic

Print Version (Legal Size):
Vernonia noveboracensis (New York Ironweed)

Fluffy, red-violet blooms atop 8-foot tall stalks draw bees and butterflies from mid-summer into fall. This member of the daisy family is at home in wet meadows and freshwater marshes and along stream banks pretty much across the Mid-Atlantic Region.* The Virginia Native Plant Society named New York Ironweed Wildflower of the Year in 1995.

**Despite its name, it is not abundant in NY. Rather, it is primarily concentrated in NY’s Hudson Valley Region, NYC and Long Island and absent in much the rest of the state. In PA, it is absent in the northern counties bordering NY.

Learn more about other Mid-Atlantic plants: 
Tried and True Native Plant Fact Sheets

Back to Top