Veronia angustifolia is native in the US in the following states:
Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina & North Carolina.

This is a short-lived perennial named for William Vernon, an English botanist who studied plants in North America. Angustifolia comes from the Latin: "angust" meaning narrow & "foli" meaning leaf.

It blooms June through September in its native range and is very striking. It stopped me dead in my tracks the first time I saw it. The blooms are so bright and attractive, airily waving in the breeze. You can see emerging growth in the spring, consisting of a basal rosette of elliptically shaped leaves with toothed edges.This makes a beautiful showing for the back of a border, towering above smaller plants in front. Unfortunately, it is rarely offered for sale even in native nurseries, but it is easily propagated by seed. Seeds may be available through the Florida Wildflowers Growers Cooperative.

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Although its common name is Tall Ironweed, this native wildflower of the Southeastern U.S. only grows to 4 feet in height. It is a clump-forming plant with upright stems and many very narrow 2 to 4 inch dark green leaves. The flowers are loose-branched 5"-10" wide clusters, comsisting of small fuzzy purple flower heads. Tall Ironweed grows in habitats of sandhills, open hammocks, disturbed areas, dry pinelands, and old fields. The flowers attract many butterflies as well as hummingbirds.

With its narrow leaves and rigid upright growth habit, Vernonia angustifolia is easily distinguished from Giant Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea), which has lance-shaped leaves, can attain heights to 8 feet, and prefers moist habitats.

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