A stand of ironweed is flowering along the Yellow River. The blossoms are magenta, I’d say, although I’m not a good source on color. The stand is full of bees, butterflies and wasps. Among the butterflies were giant swallowtails, the largest butterflies in North America. The average wingspan is 5.5 inches.
This stand is Vernonia gigantea, giant ironweed. It couldn’t be anything else. Some of the plants are 12 feet tall.
When I looked for information, I found a source that said Vernonia gigantea grows up to 7 feet tall. Other sources said 8 and 10. Finally, I found that the horticulturalists at North Carolina State University said these plants grow to 12 feet. It felt odd to shop for an academic source to support my observations, but I think anyone who had ever played basketball would have kept looking. These blooms were above the rim.
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