About Verbesina alternifolia (L.) Britton ex Kearney
Verbesina alternifolia (L.) Britton ex Kearney is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is commonly called wingstem or yellow ironweed, and is native to North America. The name "wingstem" refers to its leaf petioles, which run down the stem and form raised ridges or "wings" along it. This plant grows 3 to 8 feet tall, with an unbranched stem until it reaches the inflorescence at the very top. Its yellow flower heads bloom from late summer through early fall, are 1 to 2 inches wide, and are made up of up to 10 bright yellow ray florets angled downward (each with a notch at the end), plus a spherical cluster of tubular yellow disk florets in the center. This plant grows in fertile, moist low-lying areas, such as near creeks and in open bottomland woods, and usually grows not far from a body of water or woodland. The tubular disk florets in the center of each flower head attract long-tongued insects like bumblebees and butterflies, and are less attractive to shorter-tongued insects such as wasps and flies. Verbesina alternifolia is sometimes considered weedy. It thrives and competes well in both disturbed and less disturbed habitats, and often forms colonies by spreading vegetatively from rhizomes. Its seeds are attractive food for birds, and its foliage is not a preferred food for deer and other herbivores.
