This Monday’s featured native plant is Missouri Ironweed, Vernonia missurica. Found along river bottom (rarely upland) forests; wet prairies, fens, sedge meadows; moist or dry open ground, river banks, fencerows, fields, and roadsides it is a tall plant – about 5 feet tall – so use it in the landscape to naturalize in cottage gardens, wildflower meadows, and prairies. It is also effective as a background plant for borders. It likes medium moisture loam and clay soils in full sun and blooms from July to Septmeber. Deer resistant.