Vernonia gigantea
| Vernonia gigantea | |
|---|---|
| Tall ironweed near Cincinnati, Ohio | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Vernonia |
| Species: | V. gigantea
|
| Binomial name | |
| Vernonia gigantea (Walter) Trel.
| |
Vernonia gigantea (Vernonia gigantea ssp. gigantea) (synonyms: Vernonia altissima, Vernonia altissima var. lilacina, Vernonia altissima var. taeniotricha),[1] (also known as giant ironweed,[2] tall ironweed[3] or ironweed[4]) is a species of perennial plant from family Asteraceae found in United States and Canada.[2] The plant is native to the eastern United States, north to New York state and Ontario, and southwest to Texas.[2]
Description
They are described as 0.9–2.1 metres (3–7 ft) tall,[5] or 1.5 m–3.0 m × 0.3 m–0.6 m (5 ft–10 ft × 1 ft–2 ft).[4] The stem is either green or purplish green coloured, and can be either hairy or pubescent. The leaves are up to 250 mm (10 in) long and 50 mm (2 in) across, and are ovate. Their leaves could also be lanceolate-oblong or elliptically shaped, with serrated margins. The leaves' upper surface is hairless and is dark green in colour. The leaves' bases may have a petiole or be sessile.[5] The flowers open from July to September and are purple in colour. They can be found growing in moist soils along roadsides, and are common in meadows and open woodlands.[4]
The seeds are wind-dispersed. The plant is self-incompatible and exhibits substantial ecotypic variation, a factor which may explain their broad geographic distribution.[6]
Ecology
V. gigantea is a larval host to the ironweed borer moth (Papaipema cerussata) and the red groundling moth (Perigea xanthioides).[7]
References
- ^ "Vernonia gigantea ssp. gigantea". Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas at Austin. January 30, 2023. Archived from the original on July 19, 2025. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
Synonym(s): Vernonia altissima, Vernonia altissima var. lilacina, Vernonia altissima var. taeniotricha
- ^ a b c "Vernonia gigantea". USDA. PLANTS Profile. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
- ^ Common names
- ^ a b c "Vernonia gigantea - Ironweed". Goodness Grows. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
- ^ a b "Tall Ironweed". Illinois Wild Flowers. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
- ^ Urbatsch, Lowell (1973). "A Study Of Ecotypes In Vernonia Gigantea Gigantea (Compositae)". Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies. p. 188. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
- ^ Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation (2016). Gardening for Butterflies: How You Can Attract and Protect Beautiful, Beneficial Insects. Timber Press. Serial Number 16-003: Version Number 01. Archived from the original on November 19, 2025. Retrieved February 27, 2025.