July is the time for questions about ironweed, which is a common native perennial plant from the aster (daisy) family readily found in the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. It grows from three feet up to ten feet tall, depending on the specific species (of which there are seventeen in North America). It generally bears clusters of purple to magenta flowers at the peak of the plant’s stalk that are highly attractive to many pollinators.
I am anticipating that you’re already thinking something like – “What! It’s native!?…
