Home >
Detail
Tall Ironweed (Vernonia altissima)
Image ID: 2013/mtr163
Tap/mouseover and drag to zoom/pan.Native
Family:
Asteraceae (Sunflower)
Height: 3 to 7 ft.
Blooms: August to
October
Leaf Type:
smooth
Bloom Size: 1 in. (typical)
Flower Description:
Flat or rounded clusters,
Parts indistinct
Location: Montour Trail
Date: 8/31/2013
More photos of this flower
Tall Ironweed may be
easily confused with:
- New York Ironweed
These are very difficult to tell apart. Tall ironweed typically has fewer than 30 flowers per head, while New York has 30 to 50. Leaves of tall ironweed are hairy on the underside.
Folklore, History, and Other Facts
The common name attests to the toughness of the stem.
We started out as wildflowers from the bicycle trails of western Pennsylvania, but we've
grown!
Meyer, Joseph E. (1918). The Herbalist and Herb Doctor. Hammond, Ind.: Indiana Herb Gardens. 400 pp.