Ironweed, Missouri ironweed
Vernonia missurica Raf.
Family: Asteraceae (aster)
Anna Fiedler, MSU Entomology
Missour ironweed
- Bloom Period:
- Late,
- Mid-Season,
- Growth Cycle:
- Perennial,
- Growth Habit:
- Forbs/Herbs,
- Insect Type Attracted:
- Natural Enemy,
- Pollinator,
- Light:
- Full,
- Partial,
- Region:
- Southern Lower Peninsula,
- Soil Moisture:
- Medium,
- Wet
- Height:
- 3-6ft
Natural enemies attracted
Highly attractive: Chalcidoidea.
Mildly attractive: Orius insidiosus, Thomisidae, Salticidae, Coccinellidae, Plagiognathus politus, Empididae, Chlamydatus associatus, Cynipoidea and Braconidae.
Pollinators attracted
Moderately attractive: bees including sweat bees, leafcutter bees, cuckoo bees, small carpenter bees, and bumble bees.
Pests attracted
Moderately attractive: lygus bugs.
Mildly attractive: leaf beetles, leafhoppers, Japanese beetles, froghoppers and tephritid fruit flies.
Plant notes
Striking purple, feathered flowers about 1 inch across bloom in groups at the top of the plant throughout August. This species was sixth most attractive to natural enemies in the late season, with three times as many natural enemies as the grass control.
Habitat
Ironweed grows in full to partial sun, and average to very wet soils. It naturally occurs in damp areas such as river bottom woods, fens, sedge meadows and wet prairies. It may also occur in damp or dry open ground along roadsides, fencerows, fields and river banks.
Cultivation and management
Ironweed can be grown from seed (flowers in third year) or plug material (flowers in second year).