{"product_id":"ironweed-vernonia-gigantea","title":"Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea)","description":"\u003ch2\u003eIronweed \u003cem\u003e(Vernonia gigantea)\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eIronweed earns its name twice over — for the iron-tough stems that hold its brilliant purple flower clusters upright through the heat of a Louisiana August, and for the iron-deep color of those flowers, a saturated royal purple that is unlike anything else in the late-summer prairie. It is a plant of extraordinary presence: tall, bold, and absolutely covered in monarchs, swallowtails, and bumblebees from the moment it opens.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBotanical Profile\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFamily:\u003c\/strong\u003e Asteraceae (Daisy family)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNative Range:\u003c\/strong\u003e Eastern United States from New York to Florida and west to Kansas and Texas; native to Louisiana's moist prairies, roadsides, and open woodlands\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUSDA Hardiness Zones:\u003c\/strong\u003e 4–9\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMature Size:\u003c\/strong\u003e 4–8 feet tall\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Time:\u003c\/strong\u003e July–September\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSun:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun to part shade\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e Moist to average; tolerates clay and periodic wet conditions; adaptable\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003ePrairie Movement \u0026amp; Ecological Role\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eIronweed is consistently ranked among the top native plants for monarch butterflies, its late-summer bloom coinciding with the peak of the monarch's southward migration through Louisiana. It also supports tiger swallowtails, spicebush swallowtails, bumblebees, and specialist \u003cem\u003eVernonia\u003c\/em\u003e bees. Its seeds feed American Goldfinches through fall. Its tall stems create dramatic vertical movement in the prairie strip, swaying in the Gulf breeze and providing the bold purple punctuation that makes the late-summer prairie unforgettable.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eIn the Prairie Movement Strip\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePart of the \u003cem\u003ePrairie Movement Strip | Wind, Pollinators \u0026amp; Motion\u003c\/em\u003e collection at Big Mamou Enterprises, Ironweed is the prairie strip's purple anchor — tall, iron-tough, and alive with monarchs through the heat of the Louisiana summer.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Big Mamou Enterprises","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49765852741872,"sku":null,"price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0824\/7171\/5056\/files\/image_2c5edf1b-65bf-4732-92ea-ed622079aa2c.png?v=1779823985","url":"https:\/\/realtimecajun.com\/products\/ironweed-vernonia-gigantea","provider":"Big Mamou Enterprises","version":"1.0","type":"link"}