The Fast-Growing Flower That'll Make Your Yard A Hummingbird Hotspot

As summer turns to fall, many mid-summer blooms have faded, but pollinators and hummingbirds are still out and about searching for food. Hummingbirds need to double their body weight before they either migrate many hundreds of miles to the south or hunker down for the winter up north. With some 15 species of hummingbirds in North America looking for food, you can help them make your garden a home by planting flowers that produce nectar into the fall. One of those prolific food producers is New York ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis), a fast-growing flower that hummingbirds flock to.

Also known as New England ironweed, New York ironweed is native to North America and, despite its name, can be found throughout the eastern United States. The genus Vernonia contains around 350 species, including the Arkansas native (Vernonia arkansana), the Missouri native (Vernonia missurica), and Vernonia baldwinii, which is native to the western United States. New York ironweed is a great plant to go along with native shrubs that add color in the fall. Producing an abundance of nectar-rich flowers that hummingbirds love, New York ironweed can also be a great companion plant to other flowers that bloom into the late summer and early fall, such as asters (Aster spp.), false dragon head (Physostegia virginiana), and especially giant hyssop (Agastache spp.), another hummingbird favorite. Hummingbirds have been known to set up homes in the same yard after returning from their migration. Set up a birdbath nearby, and you could be delighted with the sight of hummingbirds visiting your garden year after year.

New York ironweed is hardy in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 9. You can grow it from seed by sowing it directly in spring or fall, or by buying potted plants available in garden centers in early fall, long before frost sets in, so the plants have time to establish themselves. Or in spring, after any danger of frost has passed. New York ironweed is a perennial that's well-adapted to a wide range of soil types, from clay to loam, but does best in organically rich soil. It will fare well in part shade, but plant it in full sun to give it the best chance to produce abundant flowers and their accompanying hummingbird food. It's a large plant, growing 5 to 8 feet in height and 3 to 4 feet in width, so give it room to grow where hummers will see its purple flowers, preferably at the back of a border so it doesn't shade out other plants. Water it frequently until it is well established. It prefers moist or even occasionally wet soil that's slightly acidic. If your soil is too alkaline, you can adjust your soil pH by adding vinegar or baking soda to provide the best growing conditions for your ironweed.

Once established, New York ironweed needs little maintenance. Water it every few weeks, more frequently during dry periods. Learn how to prune this shrub-sized perennial to provide it with good air circulation to prevent common diseases like powdery mildew. Deadhead the flowers once they've finished blooming to promote new flower growth. You can cut the plant down to ground level at the end of the growing season, but bird lovers might want to leave the seed clusters to give resident birds food into the winter.