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Missouri Ironweed

Vernonia missurica

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in wet hammocks, prairies, glades. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

80
Keystone

Native to Arkansas. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 94%

Height
3–6 feet
Spread
3–4 feet
Light
Full sun
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 3.5 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 8 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Bloom
July to September

Not yet recorded · Life cycle · Leaves

Recorded in 54 Arkansas counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Prairies and grasslands

Open, grass-dominated places kept open by fire, grazing or thin soil, from tallgrass prairie to Piedmont prairies.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Arkansas. Shared habitat, not food. 53 animals.

All wildlife of Arkansas

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

23CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AR

Genus host records with ranges including AR · Vernonia

  • Acleris subnivanaBent-Wing Acleris, Common Acleris
  • Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
  • Apantesis partheniceParthenice Tiger Moth
  • Archips rileyanaSouthern Ugly-Nest Caterpillar Moth
  • Carmenta bassiformisEupatorium Borer Moth, Ironweed Clearwing Moth
  • Chlorochlamys chloroleucariaBlackberry Looper Moth
  • Dichomeris setosellaHairy Dichomeris
  • Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
  • Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
  • Hellinsia paleaceusOne-Spotted Plume Moth
Show all 23
  • Perigea xanthioidesRed Groundling
  • Platynota idaeusalisTufted Apple-Bud Moth
  • Pleuroprucha insulsariaCommon Tan Wave
  • Polygrammodes flavidalisIronweed Root Moth, Vernonia Root-Borer
  • Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
  • Synchlora aerataWavy-Lined Emerald, Camouflaged Looper
  • Synchlora frondariaSouthern Emerald
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Vanessa virginiensisAmerican Lady, American Painted Lady
  • Dichomeris washingtoniella
  • Paralobesia sambuci
  • Paralobesia vernoniana
  • Thyraylia bunteana
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
46BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Vernonia

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
9Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Vernonia

  • Andrena placata
  • Melissodes denticulatus
  • Melissodes druriellus
  • Melissodes microstictus
  • Melissodes niveus
  • Melissodes subillatus
  • Melissodes trinodis
  • Melissodes vernoniae
  • Perdita octomaculata
Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Asteraceae
Hardiness
Zones 4–9
Flower color
Purple

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

Arkansas rankSNR
Global rankNot available
AR statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

Choose a county to begin.

How to check your spot

Growing cautions

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources