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Ironweed
Vernonia fasciculata

Stout, native perennial herb that clumps and is up to 5' tall. Stabilizes soil in buffers, slopes and shorelines. A beautiful plant for landscapes, lake edges and rain water gardens. It provides good wildlife habitat.

USDA symbol: VEFA2

General Information

Plant TypeForb
Height5 feet
Light ExposureSun
Soil MoistureMedium
Bloom ColorPurple
Ironweed (Ironweed<div><em class="small">Vernonia fasciculata</em></div>)
Photo credit: Minnesota Native Landscapes (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceModerate
General Resilience9
Salt ToleranceLow
Stress ToleranceGeneral Disturbance

Pollinator Value: Very High

Bloom MonthsAugust to September
Larval Host ofBees, Moths
Specific Pollinators HostedGrammia parthenice, Melissodes denticulata
Pollinator BenefitInsect Pollinated, Provides Nectar, Stem Nesting, Supports Generalists

Project Planning

Project TypeErosion Control, Rain Garden, Sandy or Engineered Soils, Shoreline Buffer
Coefficient of Conservatism5
Herbivore SensitivityMedium
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadFast
Soil StabilizationShallow
Vegetative ReproductionClonal

Range

CountyAitkin, Anoka, Benton, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Douglas, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Hennepin, Houston, Isanti, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Lac qui Parle, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Morrison, Mower, Nobles, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pine, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Rock, Sherburne, Sibley, St. Louis, Stearns, Steele, Swift, Traverse, Wabasha, Waseca, Washington, Watonwan, Wilkin, Winona, Wright, Yellow Medicine
EcoregionDriftless Area, Lake Agassiz Plain, North Central Hardwood Forests, Northern Glaciated Plains, Northern Lakes and Forests, Northern Minnesota Wetlands, Western Cornbelt Plains
Approximate Eco ProvinceEastern Broadleaf Forest, Laurentian Mixed Forest, Prairie Parkland, Tallgrass Aspen Parklands