Height: 8’ + Spread: 3’ to 6’ Light Needs: full sun to partial shade Water: moist Flower color: lavender to purple Bloom time: August to September
This wildflower can grow very tall in a good site. One reference states that it spreads by rhizomes but mature plants at the Upstate Native Nursery have grown in tight clumps. It is similar in appearance to Vernonia noveboracensis but is more robust. It will spread by seeds in a suitable spot. A flower head may be up to sixteen inches wide. The leaves can be up to ten inches long. In the garden, it makes a striking accent. It could be planted at the back of a formal flower border and is beautiful in natural settings. To reduce the ultimate height, cut the stalks back in mid-summer. The flowers attract butterflies, bees and a wide variety of other insect pollinators. It is widely regarded as deer resistant but young growth may be browsed.
