Vernonia acaulis: Country Or Region Of Origin
SE North America
Plant Profile: Vernonia acaulis
Taxonomy: Vernonia acaulisNames
Ironweed, Leafless Ironweed, Stemless Ironweed
Phonetic Spelling:ver-NOH-nee-ah ah-KAW-liss
Genus:Vernonia
Species:acaulis
Family:Asteraceae
This beautiful wildflower is indigenous to North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. It thrives in the dry regions of the Piedmont and the coastal plains of North Carolina. The stemless ironweed develops a rosette of leaves at its base, with stems that can reach heights of 36 to 42 inches emerging from the center. From late June to August, it showcases vibrant purple-fuchsia flowers that are particularly appealing to bees.
This plant flourishes at the borders of woodlands, preferring well-drained to dry, sandy soils, and is also well-suited for meadows and woodland gardens.
Vernonia acaulis Feature Summary
Vernonia acaulis Image Gallery
Tags
#hummingbirds
#wildlife plant
#purple flowers
#honey bees
#nectar plant
#specialized bees
#pollinator plant
#food source fall
#NC Native Pollinator Plant
#food source nectar
#food source pollen
#food source hard mast fruit
#nectar plant late summer
#bee friendly
#audubon
Similar Plants
Vernonia acaulis Feature Summary
Attributes
SE North America
NC, SC, GA
Birds enjoy the fruits, hummingbirds and butterflies the nectar. Members of the genus Vernonia support the following specialized bee: Melissodes (Eumelissodes) denticulatus.
Perennial
Wildlife Food Source
Attracts Pollinators
Fruit
Fruit is a cluster of rusty clustered achenes. Displays from August to October.
Achene
Brown/Copper
< 1 inch
< 1 inch
Flowers
1/2 inch wide frilly flower heads in loose corymbs are at the tips of spreading-ascending branches with 30-40 purple-magenta tubular flowers with 5 spreading narrow lobes. Bracts surround each head. Blooms June to Aug.
Pink
Purple/Lavender
Head
Corymb
Summer
4-5 petals/rays
Tubular
< 1 inch
Leaves
Leaves mostly basal with blades oblong-elliptic, 4-8 inches long, irregularly toothed and hairy. A few alternate stem leaves are elliptical and much smaller.
Deciduous
Green
Simple
Alternate
Rosulate
Elliptical
Oblong
Entire
3-6 inches
1-3 inches
Stem
Whole Plant Traits
Native Plant
Wildflower
Deciduous
Erect
Medium
Low
Fine
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasionally Dry
Coastal
Piedmont
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape
Butterfly Garden
Pollinator Garden
Native Garden
Border
Small groups
Woodland
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Butterflies
Pollinators
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
Hummingbirds
Vernonia acaulis Image Gallery
Vernonia acaulis Attributes
Vernonia acaulis: Distribution
NC, SC, GA
Vernonia acaulis: Wildlife Value
Birds enjoy the fruits, hummingbirds and butterflies the nectar. Members of the genus Vernonia support the following specialized bee: Melissodes (Eumelissodes) denticulatus.
Vernonia acaulis: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Vernonia acaulis: Recommended Propagation Strategy
Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting
Vernonia acaulis: Play Value
Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer
Vernonia acaulis Fruit
Vernonia acaulis: Fruit Description
Fruit is a cluster of rusty clustered achenes. Displays from August to October.
Vernonia acaulis: Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Vernonia acaulis: Fruit Color
Brown/Copper
Vernonia acaulis: Display/Harvest Time
Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter
Vernonia acaulis: Fruit Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Vernonia acaulis: Fruit Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Vernonia acaulis Flowers
Vernonia acaulis: Flower Description
1/2 inch wide frilly flower heads in loose corymbs are at the tips of spreading-ascending branches with 30-40 purple-magenta tubular flowers with 5 spreading narrow lobes. Bracts surround each head. Blooms June to Aug.
Vernonia acaulis: Flower Color
Pink
Purple/Lavender
Vernonia acaulis: Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Vernonia acaulis: Flower Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Vernonia acaulis: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Vernonia acaulis: Flower Petals
2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals
Vernonia acaulis: Flower Shape
Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel
Vernonia acaulis: Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Vernonia acaulis Leaves
Vernonia acaulis: Leaf Description
Leaves mostly basal with blades oblong-elliptic, 4-8 inches long, irregularly toothed and hairy. A few alternate stem leaves are elliptical and much smaller.
Vernonia acaulis: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Vernonia acaulis: Leaf Color
Green
Vernonia acaulis: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Vernonia acaulis: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Vernonia acaulis: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Vernonia acaulis: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Vernonia acaulis: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Vernonia acaulis: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Vernonia acaulis: Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Vernonia acaulis Stem
Vernonia acaulis: Stem Description
Green straight stem
Vernonia acaulis: Stem Color
Green
Vernonia acaulis: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Vernonia acaulis: Stem Form
Straight
Zig Zags
Vernonia acaulis Whole Plant Traits
Vernonia acaulis: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Vernonia acaulis: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Vernonia acaulis: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Vernonia acaulis: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Vernonia acaulis: Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Vernonia acaulis: Texture
Fine
Medium
Coarse
Vernonia acaulis Cultural Conditions
Vernonia acaulis: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Vernonia acaulis: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Vernonia acaulis: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Vernonia acaulis: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Vernonia acaulis Landscape
Vernonia acaulis: Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Vernonia acaulis: Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Vernonia acaulis: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
Vernonia acaulis: Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
