Ironweed (Vernonia gigantum described) is a beautiful tall purple flower which is a cluster atop a giant, up to 10 ft tall, spike. The flowers are button shaped. The leaves are ovate shaped and up to 10 in long by 2 in wide and are slightly serrated on the edges. It blooms from July – September depending on conditions and species. It prefers full sun in moist soil. There are around 350 different species found in South America, Africa, Southeast Asia, and North America. Bees and butterflies love to pollinate this flower.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Tracheophytes
- Sub-Phylum: Angiospermae
- Class: Magnoliopsida
- Order: Asterales
- Family: Asteraceae
- Subfamily: Vernonioideae
- Tribe: Vernonieae
- Sub-Tribe: Vernoniinae
- Genus: Vernonia
Good places to see this flower in Ohio:
- Open fields across Ohio
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