New York Ironweed

With New York so often referred to as “The Iron Jungle” (sometimes rather fondly, sometimes not), it’s no wonder that one of the flowers of the state is the New York Ironweed. Scientifically known as the veronia noveboracensis, New York Ironweed is, yes, a weed—which really isn’t saying much, is it? After all, if sunflowers and dandelions—my daughter’s favorite plants—are known as weeds, any beautiful plant can be referred to as such a nuisance.

The New York Ironweed has tall, stiff, branching stems flecked with alternate leaves and topped with clusters of dark purple flowers that bloom in the late summer and fall—usually August through October. These tiny composite flowers group together to form large bright purple clusters. Unlike many other ironweeds, New York Ironweed only has leaves along its stem rather than basal and smaller stem weeds. The plant also produces a small fruit called a nutlet.

A member of the Asteraceae, or daisy, family, it can be found as far south as Florida and as far west as Tennessee. Some of the 500-plus member of the ironweed family can also be found across the world, particularly in Asia, Africa, and various parts of North and South America.

Also known as the Vein-leaf hawkweed or simply ironweed, the perennial New York Ironweed’s scientific name is the Vernonia noveboracensis. This name is in memoriam of William Vernon, an English botanist from Maryland who collected the ironweed and other flowers.

It prefers thickets, wet bottomland fields, and stream edges for optimal growth—though it will also grow in hay fields, roadsides, and pastures throughout its native region. New York Ironweeds prefer plenty of moisture with good drainage, though they can tolerate occasional dryness, and grow best in full sunlight. The flower can grow from three to seven feet tall. The stem alone can grow from two to seven feet, often with multiple stems arising from the same crown.  When grown, the flower heads are half an inch to a quarter inch in width, though whole clusters can be three to five inches total across.

Just as anyone with “iron” in their name is known to be tough—iron stomach, iron fist, even Ironhide from Transformers (though he did bite the dust, didn’t he?)—the New York Ironweed is named so for a reason. Its stem is very stout and sturdy, making it strong enough to survive through the winter.