Ironweed 'Iron Butterfly'

Vernonia lettermannii 'Iron Butterfly'

'Iron Butterfly' is what happens when you take the intense purple flower power of native ironweed and compact it into a well-behaved, two-to-three foot mound that works in small gardens and front borders. The leaves are extremely narrow. almost grass-like, dark green and fine-textured. which creates a soft base for the electric purple flower clusters that arrive in late summer. The contrast between the delicate foliage and the bold, buzzing flower heads is one of the most eye-catching combinations in the late-season garden. Pollinators are absolutely wild for this plant. The late-summer bloom coincides with peak migration and colony preparation for monarchs and other nectaring butterflies, and the flowers are rich in nectar at a time when most perennials have shut down. Unlike straight ironweed species, 'Iron Butterfly' doesn't spread aggressively, stays compact without staking, and maintains great presence from late August through October. Deer barely touch it.