Verbesina alternifolia is a native meadow perennial that is easily identifiable by its modified leaf blades that extend down the plant’s stems, giving them a “winged” appearance, as well as the oddly-numbered ray flowers ranging from 2-10 on a single disk. Appropriately called Wingstem, and occasionally Yellow Ironweed due to its similar habit and cultural requirements, this easily grown endemic species thrives in full sun to partial shade and moist to average soil conditions, happily naturalizing low meadows, ditches, and woodland edges. The strange composite flowers are very disk-flower-forward, sometimes lacking ray flowers at all. However, it’s been found that this species is important to a diverse range of specialized pollinators, and is also a host plant to the Silver Checkerspot and Summer Azure butterflies, as well as the Gold Moth, a shiny metallic flying specimen often seen from August to October at the height of Verbesina alternifolia’s bloom season.

• Category: Perennials
• Hardiness Zone: 4
• Height: 72 Inches
• Spread: 36 Inches
• Bloom Color: Yellow