How do you identify ironweed?

What Does Ironweed Look Like? Ironweed plants have some truly beautiful and distinguishing characteristics. Among these is a particularly tall and stiff upright habit. They stand erect with tooth-shaped leaves and have small purple flowers gathered in loose bunches.

Is ironweed the same as milkweed?

A Weed By Any Other Name. Many wonderful prairie plants carry the misnomer of “weed”, such as butterfly weed, iron weed, and milkweed. These are plants that may or may not need to be pulled, depending on where they are located.

Is ironweed aggressive?

Ironweed is a prairie native that likes sun and moist soil, though it will tolerate average soil. It’s got stiffly upright stems topped by fuzzy purple flowers. Ironweed is considered pretty aggressive, and some would say it is too aggressive for the home garden.

Is giant ironweed poisonous?

Use With Care. As with all plants in the Asteraceae family, use ironweed with caution. These plants can cause allergic reactions, particularly irritated skin. Also take particular care if you have ironweed in an area where you keep livestock, as it can be toxic to animals if they ingest too much.

Do butterflies like ironweed?

Named for its tough stem, Ironweed has excellent upright form in the garden. The intense purple bloom color stands out in the late summer landscape, attracting many butterflies and other pollinators.

What do ironweed seeds look like?

The beautiful purple flowers will have been replaced by rusty yellow seed heads resembling rusty iron. Also, the stems of the plants are very tough like iron. Both attributes are what give the plants their “ironweed” name. The seed heads are a rusty yellow color similar to rusty iron.

Is Ironweed a host plant?

Excellent in a prairie/wildflower garden, tall border, naturalized drainage area or raingarden. Ironweed is a host plant for the American Painted Lady butterfly. CarePlant in full sun in medium to moist soils.

Is ironweed deer resistant?

Plants tolerate clay soils, alkaline pH and some drought. This species is pest resistant but foliage is occasionally nibbled by deer and other herbivores. In the wild plants occur in wet sites but in garden situations this one can grow in well-drained soil or tolerate some drought.

Do hummingbirds like Ironweed?

It is an excellent source of nectar for hummingbirds. White to pink tubular flowers fill the flowering stalk attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Makes a lasting cut flower.

Do rabbits eat Ironweed?

Add some late summer color to your landscape by planting a few of our North American native ironweeds. The sturdy stems of this large perennial allow it to stand upright through the winter, inspiring its common name. Fortunately, the bitter foliage discourages rabbits and deer from eating this plant.