New York Ironweed / Vernonia noveboracensis
We're utterly enamored with ironweeds and New York Ironweed in particular is a lovely garden plant that can grow to around 6 feet tall. It prefers moist, rich soil but can tolerate a range of conditions. It has gorgeous purple blooms and coppery tufted seed heads for fall interest. Its bloom season is also great for pollinators because, like Great Blue Lobelia and Stoneroot, it is one of the few wildflowers that bloom in late summer. These plants usually reach between 4 and 6 feet in height, so would be best at the back of a garden bed or in a wet meadow.
The native Denticulate Long-Horned Bee specializes in harvesting the white pollen of ironweeds like New York Ironweed to feed their young. This is where planting a diverse group of plants really helps - with providing foraging resources for specialist insects.
Seed Planting/Germination Key
Storage: Store in a cool, dry, dark place prior to planting.
Rule of thumb for depth of planting: The maximum depth should generally be half the width of the seed, but many wildflower seeds will germinate well if sown on the surface.
Easy: Generally germinates within 5 to 30 days with no need for cold pretreatment. Keep potting mix or soil consistently moist during the germination period.
Cold(30): Germination rates are higher if cold pretreatment applied either by placing the seed within moist paper towel or sand within a refrigerator for 30 days or outside in late winter.
Cold(60): Germination rates are higher if cold pretreatment applied either by placing the seed within moist paper towel or sand within a refrigerator for 60 days or outside in mid-winter.
Cold(90); Outdoors: Germination rates are higher if cold pretreatment applied either by placing the seed within moist paper towel or sand within a refrigerator for 90 days or outside in late fall or early winter. The best route is to plant these outdoors in either a pot or directly on the soil.
Approximate Seeds Per Packet: 100
Germination: Cold(60)
Lifecycle: Perennial
Sunlight: Full, Part
Soil Moisture: Moist, Medium
Height: 6
Bloom Period: August-September
Bloom Color: Purple
USDA Zones: 5-8
Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, Birds
Larval Host For: Parthenice Tiger Moth