Glenda, look up yellow ironweed (Verbesina alternifolia) and see what you think. Your photos look like the yellow ironweed in the Ozarks Wildflower book I have. In the aster family and blooms August to October. Sneezeweed looks similar too.

I agree with Susy. It looks like Yellow Ironweed. Sneezeweed is the common name that folks around here apply to Helenium amarum--called Bitterweed in the Ozark Wildflowers guide. It's blooming right now too, but is short--only 10-12"

Bless you all. I do think it is verbesina alternifolia, yellow ironweed! I am so happy to know. I kept thinking a kind of helenium, but the tips of the petals are not serrated (for want of a better term) but rounded like a daisy.

The leaves of the helenium are not the same.

I guess I need a new wild flower book, which one do you all have?

I found it in the back of my book but with no picture, just the name which didn't help me since I didn't know the name.

Why have I never heard of yellow ironweed or seen it when brush hogging?

I can't remember ever coming across yellow ironweed either Glenda. It's rather pretty. Is it attracting butterflies?

I am not out that way enough to see any activity. When I looked it up they said it was too weedy for border use and best left in wild areas! I disagree. I will be planting some seeds in a border if I can get the seed to germinate.
Funny because the native asters are recommended for borders and I think they are ugly almost up to the bloom! At least this plant so far is green all the way up the stem.

Glenda, my daughter and I do a lot of wild flower hunting especially in the spring.

I use Missouri Wildflowers, Fifth Edition by Edgar Denison. I think my daughter has a newer edition than mine.

Ozark Wildflowers, A Field Guide to Common Ozark Wildflowers by Don Kurz, is another good one. I think we bought this one at Barnes and Noble in Spfd.

Happy Hunting!

Susy, I love seeing the wild flowers on the farm and in the ditches. I will post pictures of the white one when I can.

I couldn't find it in my book either! I use the same one as you do. I have just been looking under colors. I guess I need to learn to use it better.

I am pretty sure I have ruella growing in the ditches.

I also have Ozark Wildflowers by Kurz. I bought mine off Amazon.com.

I call it crownbeard.

Here is a link that might be useful: flower picture

Glenda another thought on this: I have lots of this on my driveway and also the white flowering crownbeard. I enjoy these wildflowers after a dry summer when everything perks up after a nice rain. I do not even attempt to weed or mow the ditch where these grow. They take care of themselves and I do no work. I agree they are pretty, but put them just outside your yard in your fence rows or ditches. You will enjoy them as you are the one you found. Jerusalem Artichoke is also showy this time of year. I let it grow in my tomato garden then pulled most of it up one time after a rain. They say JA is too wild and invasive for a garden, but I found it easy to pull up where I didn't want it. It is very pretty now. Because it takes up so much room I am also growing it on the edges of my yard. I can enjoy it but I let it take care of itself.

Helen that is a great idea. I know I am wary of moving them into beds since the eupatorium that is everywhere now!
It seems to like the spot it is in now so I hope some seeds drop there too.

I have never seen the white one growing here either. There is no doubt that it is the yellow one.

I need to order the book by Kurz and also another good butterfly book. I have lost mine and have looked all summer for it......to no avail!

This is known as Wingstem, too. I did not know it was called Yellow Ironweed.

I have the book by Kurz too. After reading that this plant is sometimes eaten by Whitetail Deer you may want to think about where you put it. I wouldn't want to invite them into my garden. It also says that in Sept. ironweed often forms large dense patches in bottomland forests.
Nancy

Nancy, I just put the Kurz on my Amazon Wish List! May be too late for my birthday, but if so, I will order it for myself! I liked the sample photos Amazon showed.

I am promising myself an ATV trip over the farm shortly to see what I can see. Now I will be looking for the yellow and white version of this and also passion vine and native asters.

I know I have a huge patch of a yellow wildflower west behind the pond in a boggy area. You all are so good at identification, maybe you can get that one too. I tried last year and thought maybe bidens.

I hope pictures will be following.

glenda

Don't plant the passionvine in your yard. It spreads.

helen, thanks for the tip. I have learned my lesson about wild flowers! I also did the native white yarrow once....serious mistake.