Broadleaf Ironweed
Vernonia glauca
The ironweed for drier ground and part shade, with vivid purple clusters lighting woodland edges in August and September. Monarchs find it.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
The only ironweed that thrives in drier shade. brings the same pollinator value and vivid purple color to woodland edge gardens where no other ironweed would survive.
Broadleaf Ironweed is the understory ironweed, the species adapted to drier woodland edges and open woods throughout the Appalachians, rather than the moist meadows where its better-known relatives grow. The leaves are broader and grayish-green beneath (glauca refers to the glaucous underside), and the plants top out at a more modest three to five feet. The late-summer flowers are the same vivid purple as other ironweeds, delivered in flat-topped clusters that light up woodland edges in August and September. This is the ironweed to reach for if your site is on the drier side or in partial shade, conditions where Vernonia noveboracensis would struggle. It's particularly well-suited to the transition zone between sun and shade: woodland edges, the dappled light under a high canopy, or the north side of a building where it gets sun in the morning and shade in the afternoon. Plant it where the monarchs can find it during migration, and it will earn its place every September.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown broadleaf ironweed propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 3–5 ft · 18–30 in wide
- Bloom time
- Late summer through early fall
- USDA zones
- 5–9
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Native range
- Appalachian region from Pennsylvania south to Georgia; dry to average woodland edges and open woods
Care notes for broadleaf ironweed.
Full to part shade, dry to average well-drained soil. More shade and drought tolerant than other ironweeds. Minimal care required once established. May self-seed lightly in open ground. Cut back in late June to reduce height if desired. Leave seed heads standing for fall bird interest. Cut to ground after hard frost.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside broadleaf ironweed.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
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Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.