Flower profile

Tall ironweed

Vernonia gigantea

Tall ironweed (Vernonia gigantea) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly July–September across the U.S.

Native to Ohio

Tall ironweed is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Ohio it's most often seen in bloom in July–September.

25states where USDA records it

2,409OH sightings*

7,558U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Ohio

Quick look

Vernonia gigantea, is a species of perennial plant from family Asteraceae found in United States and Canada. The plant is native to the eastern United States, north to New York state and Ontario, and southwest to Texas.
From Wikipedia's article Vernonia gigantea, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Asteraceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 25 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Ohio. ^NatureServe
In Ohio, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–September. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,409 research-grade sightings of it in Ohio, ranking #72 among the 186 flowers on our Ohio list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In Ohio, most flowering sightings come in July–September.

Flowering records by month in Ohio (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (190 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Ohio: Not listed Not on Ohio endangered and threatened plants (Ohio Adm. Code 1501:18-1-03, eff. Dec. 26, 2024). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Ohio. ^{OAC 1501:18-1-03}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: NY (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records tall ironweed in 25 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia.

Ohio counties with USDA records: Adams, Ashland, Athens, Auglaize, Belmont, Butler, Carroll, Champaign, Clark, Clinton, Columbiana, Coshocton, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Defiance, Delaware, Erie, Fairfield, Franklin, Gallia, Geauga, Guernsey, Hancock, Harrison, Henry, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Huron, Jackson, Jefferson, Knox, Lake, Lawrence, Logan, Lorain, Lucas, Madison, Mahoning, Marion, Medina, Meigs, Mercer, Miami, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Noble, Ottawa, Paulding, Pickaway, Pike, Putnam, Richland, Ross, Sandusky, Scioto, Seneca, Shelby, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Van Wert, Vinton, Washington, Wayne, Williams, Wood, Wyandot.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 752 counties across 22 states; the most are in Indiana (83), Mississippi (75), Illinois (72).

Other Vernonia on Bloomipedia (1): Western ironweed.

More from the Asteraceae family (212 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common yarrow, Goldenrods, White snakeroot, Sunflowers, Chicory, Black-eyed Susan, Bull thistle, Common dandelion.

More Ohio flowers

White snakeroot

Ageratina altissima

Native

🌼 Blooms in OH: August–October

Chicory

Cichorium intybus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in OH: June–September

Wingstem

Verbesina alternifolia

Native

🌼 Blooms in OH: August–September

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile VEGI.
iNaturalist, Vernonia gigantea: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Vernonia gigantea (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Ohio: Ohio endangered and threatened plants (Ohio Adm. Code 1501:18-1-03, eff. Dec. 26, 2024).
Ohio: Ohio invasive plant species (Ohio Adm. Code 901:5-30-01).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Vernonia gigantea (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Brighton Lee via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.