Page 51 - MNLGA Free State Winter 2023_WEB

Tomatoes’ which has deep purple foliage in early spring Vernonia noveboracensis, or New York Ironweed, thrives in
followed by bright tomato red flowers and ‘Black Truffle’ with full sun and rich, fertile, slightly acidic, moist soils. Plants are
burgundy red, almost black foliage and deep red flowers. clump forming 4-6 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide. Plants begin
Unlike ‘Fried Green Tomatoes.’ that has it’s foliage turn olive to bloom in August when most perennials have stopped,
green in early summer, ‘Black Truffles’ foliage stays its dark but the Ironweed continues to bloom until September or
color throughout the total growing season. Cardinal Flower October. Three-to-four-inch flat topped terminal clusters
is an excellent plant for rain gardens or alongside of a sit on top of stiff stems. The clusters are filled with tiny fluffy
natural pond. tubular deep intense purple composite flowers. Each flower
is made up of 30-50 tiny flowers. Many butterflies including
Vernonia lettermanii, or Iron Butterfly, is a cultivar of Vernonia
skippers, native and non-native bees feast on the nectar,
noveboracensis or New York Ironweed, but it blooms from
and the American painted lady caterpillars need to feed on
July to August, a full month earlier than the native plants.
the foliage. Flowers mature into rusty seed clusters which
Iron Butterfly thrives in full sun and is very tolerant of various
along with the strong tough stems and the rusty tinged
soil conditions, droughts, and occasional flooding. The
color of the fading flowers give this native its creative name.
plants are compact, well branched, densely mounding,
Lance shaped dark green 6-8-inch-long leaves have serrated
clump forming with 3 inch long, thin narrow finely textured
edges and are attached to the strong stems in an alternate
leaves. The flowers bloom as a flat-topped bouquet or
pattern. One of the cultivars is ‘White Lightning’ that grows
inflorescences of fluffy, tiny bright purple flowers that bloom
the same height but has pure creamy white flowers.
on the top of the plants from July to August. Although the
flowers are so tiny, they attract hummingbirds, butterflies, Eupatorium perfoliatum, or American Boneset, thrives in full
moths, skippers, bees, and other pollinators. sun, partial shade and almost every soil as long as it can
stay moist. Boneset plants are very large, growing 4-6 feet
Vernonia ‘Southern Cross’ is a hybrid that thrives in full sun
tall and 3-4 feet wide. The stems are covered with long white
and well drained soils. ‘Southern Cross’ grows in a clump
hairs, and the pairs of green wrinkled lance shaped leaves
up to 3 feet tall and wide with stiff upright stems that are
with serrated margins are arranged clasping each other
covered with dark green soft, thin leaves. Fuzzy dark purple
around the stem. The lower leaves grow to 8 inches long
flowers bloom on the top of the foliage from August to
and 2-3 inches wide but get smaller as the stems grow tall.
September, inviting both hummingbirds and butterflies to
From July to September, fragrant white tiny tubular florets
feast. The decorative seed heads stay on through the winter,
are formed and cluster together. Each floret has a long, 2
providing seeds to native songbirds.
thin string like petals and 5 spreading petals forming a star,
(continued on next page)
Liatris Spicata Blazing Star. Kobold Lobelia Cardinalis Flower

Membership Matters • WINTER 2023 51