Vernonia x Southern Cross (Ironweed)

'Southern Cross' is a showy, compacy cultivar of Vernonia, like a hybrid with at least one Vernonia lettermannii as a parent, but the exact heritage is unknown. Simply referred to as 'Southern Cross' ironweed, this striking Vernonia is grown for its gorgeous late-season violet-purple flowers and its lower growing behavior compared to other Vernonia varieties. Though plants like Vernonia novaeboracensis can get to heights up to 6' tall, 'Southern Cross' reliably grows to only 30-36" tall and wide, making it a great pick for smaller gardens or containers, though they may be better served in dry areas of the home garden thanks to a deep-growing central taproot that allows them to tolerate seasonal drought and erosion. Beyond its small stature, the 'Southern Cross' cultivar's late bloom season of August through September makes them an excellent choice for supporting late season pollinators in search of nectar, like native bees, butterflies, and even hummingbirds. 

Vernonia x 'Southern Cross' is tolerant of poor, dry, rocky, and alkaline soils, as well as those polluted by black walnut, making it a great choice for even stubborn garden spaces; though many varieties of ironweed will reseed over time, becoming dense, weedy clusters, the 'Southern Cross' cultivar is less likely to produce fertile seed, and works beautiful as an accent planting where it can stand singly. Since it tolerates such harsh conditions, it's obvious to see this cultivar's usefulness in rock gardens or on eroding slopes, but its pollinator value makes it a great addition to meadows, garden beds, and any number of naturalized plantings. Though 'Southern Cross' is a hardy, showy pick for many gardens, care should be taken with choosing planting locations, however, as plants can be susceptible to deer damage and to disease when planted close together.