Vernonia lettermannii

It is a perennial wild flower of the aster family with a very compact ball shape and showy purple-pink flowers, of a deep and bright color. This species has a rapid growth rate and a long flowering period. Many flowers appear in the summer at a time when other flowers are failing to provide nectar for bees and butterflies. The foliage is attractive even when not in bloom, adding a very fine texture to the garden. It is drought tolerant once established and tolerant of poor soil. Leave the stems intact over the winter and cut to the ground in late winter or early spring. Suitable in a rock garden, in a drought tolerant garden or on the border of a vegetable garden for pollinators.