// SPECIES PROFILE · PERENNIAL · NATIVE

Tall Ironweed

Vernonia gigantea

Tall Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea) is a perennial in the Asteraceae family. Native range includes AR, KS, MO, OK. Hardy in zones 4a–9a. Mature size 4'–10'. Blooms Aug–Oct.

// QUICK FACTS

Family: Asteraceae
Group: perennial
Native range: Native to 25 U.S. states, including AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, IA…
USDA hardiness: Zones 4a–9a
Mature size: 4'–10'
Sun: Part shade
Water: —
Bloom: Aug–Oct
Wildlife value: High — pollinator and wildlife support
Ecological role: towering purple wildflower · late-summer pollinator beacon

Tall Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea) — *Vernonia gigantea* — Tall Ironweed. Photo by Greg Hume via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Field Notes

[ growing · ecology · siting · care ]

Tall Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea) is a perennial in the Asteraceae family. Native range includes AR, KS, MO, OK. Hardy in zones 4a–9a. Mature size 4'–10'. Blooms Aug–Oct.

Why it's on this list: towering purple wildflower · late-summer pollinator beacon. Native-range data from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (NPIN), cross-checked against iNaturalist observations. Part of Rooted Revival's regional native plant catalog — true natives for Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas.

Companion Planting

[ guild · polyculture · cross-layer pairings ]

In the same native range, tall ironweed pairs naturally with: Broadleaf Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia), Blue-Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium), Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis).