Broadleaf Ironweed

Vernonia glauca

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.