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Vernonia gigantea (Giant Ironweed)

Giant Ironweed, Tall Ironweed, Vernonia altissima

Vernonia gigantea, Giant Ironweed, Tall Ironweed, Vernonia altissima, Purple Flowers, Purple Perennials
Vernonia gigantea, Giant Ironweed, Tall Ironweed, Vernonia altissima, Purple Flowers, Purple Perennials

Vernonia gigantea (Giant Ironweed) is a tall, clump-forming perennial boasting dense, broad, flattened clusters of tiny, fluffy, intense purple, finely petaled flowers in late summer and early fall. Each glorious flower head may consist of up to 30-50 flowers. Attractive to birds and butterflies, the blossoms are borne atop stiff, upright stems clothed in lance-shaped, deep green leaves. They give way to fluffy, rusty seed clusters. As a tall, narrow plant, Giant Ironweed is suited for the back of the border or tight spaces and grows well in the native meadow garden and along ponds and streams.

  • Grows up to 5-8 ft. tall (150-240 cm) and 3-6 ft. wide (90-180 cm).
  • Performs best in full sun to part shade in average, medium to wet soils.
  • Excellent choice for beds and border, cottage gardens, wildflower gardens, prairies and meadows, rain gardens.
  • No serious pest or disease issues. Deer resistant.
  • Deadhead regularly to prolong flowering and avoid unwanted self-seeding.
  • Easily grown from seed.
  • Native to eastern North America.

Requirements

Hardiness 5 - 9
Plant Type Perennials
Plant Family Compositae
Genus Vernonia
Common names Ironweed
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Summer (Late)
Fall
Height 5' - 8'
(150cm - 240cm)
Spread 3' - 6'
(90cm - 180cm)
Spacing 60" - 72"
(150cm - 180cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Average
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics Showy
Native Plants Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Midwest, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Northeast, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Southeast, Southwest, Tennessee, Texas, United States, Virginia, West Virginia
Tolerance Deer, Wet Soil
Garden Uses Beds And Borders, Ponds And Streams, Rain Gardens
Garden Styles Prairie and Meadow, Informal and Cottage
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Alternative Plants to Consider

Vernonia ‘Summer’s Swan Song’ (Ironweed)
Vernonia arkansana (Arkansas Ironweed)
Vernonia lettermannii ‘Iron Butterfly’ (Narrowleaf Ironweed)
Vernonia angustifolia (Tall Ironweed)
Vernonia baldwinii (Western Ironweed)
Vernonia fasciculata (Prairie Ironweed)

Recommended Companion Plants

Lobelia siphilitica (Great Blue Lobelia)
Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ (Feather Reed Grass)
Cotoneaster salicifolius (Willow Leaf Cotoneaster)
Macleaya microcarpa ‘Kelway’s Coral Plume’ (Plume Poppy)
Sanguisorba tenuifolia ‘Pink Elephant’ (Burnet)
Eupatorium maculatum (Spotted Joe-Pye Weed)

Find In One of Our Guides or Gardens

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For the Love of Butterflies: Best Flowers to Attract them to Your Garden
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Vernonia (Ironweed)
For the Love of Bees: Best Flowers to Attract them to Your Garden
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.
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Requirements

Hardiness 5 - 9
Plant Type Perennials
Plant Family Compositae
Genus Vernonia
Common names Ironweed
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Summer (Late)
Fall
Height 5' - 8'
(150cm - 240cm)
Spread 3' - 6'
(90cm - 180cm)
Spacing 60" - 72"
(150cm - 180cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Average
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics Showy
Native Plants Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Midwest, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Northeast, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Southeast, Southwest, Tennessee, Texas, United States, Virginia, West Virginia
Tolerance Deer, Wet Soil
Garden Uses Beds And Borders, Ponds And Streams, Rain Gardens
Garden Styles Prairie and Meadow, Informal and Cottage
How Many Plants
Do I Need?
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Vernonia (Ironweed)
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