This week for Flora and Fauna Friday it a towering purple pinnacled plant: Ironweed, genus Vernonia.
Ironweeds are herbaceous perennial members of the Aster family. They all have a straight, narrow flower stalk and vibrant purple or magenta flowers constructed from clusters of smaller disc flowers. The plants get their common name from the toughness of their stalks. In the Lowcountry we have three species: Stemless Ironweed (Vernonia acaulis), Narrowleaf Ironweed (V. angustifolia), and New York Ironweed (V. noveboracensis). Stemless Ironweed grows as a basal rosette of tongue-shaped leaves, produces a moderately sized flower stalk that’s mostly free of leaves, and loves dry, sandy soils. Narrowleaf Ironweed is similar in many regards to Stemless Ironweed but has long, narrow leaves across its stems and is partial to Longleaf Pine savannas and flatwoods. New York Ironweed is the most common species here on Edisto. It loves the wet clay soils and sunny clearings along the Scenic Byway and grows a narrow leafy flower stalk up to eight feet high. The stem of which becomes a deep burgundy and the crown of it bears an umbel of royal-purple blooms. Ironweed is a fantastic nectar plant that is adored by pollinators. Its seeds provide a ready snack to our wintering birds.
