Vernonia noveboracensis White Lightning - Ironweed

Vernonia noveboracensis ‘White Lightning’ is a tall perennial with fluffy white autumn flowers. From August to October, it will enhance the back of borders with its large umbels carried on straight and sturdy stems. Its flowers have ruffled petals and contrast beautifully with its dark green, narrow and lanceolate foliage. Easy to grow and very hardy, this vernone just needs to be planted in rich and moist soil. It will be perfect in an informal, wild, romantic garden, at the back of borders or on the edge of a pond where it will bring height and light.

Vernonia noveboracensis ‘White Lightning’ belongs to the Asteraceae family. Native to the Northeast of the United States, Vernonia is named after the English botanist William Vernon. Vernonia noveboracensis means "Vernone from New York"; the cultivar ‘White Lightning’ was a new introduction in 2014 by the German company Jelitto Staudensamen. This herbaceous perennial with a woody base will reach approximately 2m (7ft) high with a spread of 80cm (32in). Its grows quite quickly, but takes two years to establish. It forms a clump of large and robust, straight and sparsely branched stems, carrying alternate, simple, narrow lanceolate, dark green leaves. From August to October, or even November, it has lots of small, fluffy, bright white pompons flowers, arranged in larger terminal corymbs than the species, turning rust-coloured with age (hence the name "ironweed"). The flowers all open at the same time, last a long time and attract a large number of butterflies, providing a magnificent spectacle.

This very hardy vernone is easy to grow, pairs well with lots of plants and creates magnificent autumn compositions on the edges of a pond. Plant it alongside eupatoires, which it resembles, or Lythrum salicaria, Filipendula rubra 'Venusta' and Euphorbia palustris. In a wilder style, at the back of borders, this imposing perennial forms a very successful combination with large grasses: Miscanthus, Panicum, Stipa...