ironweed
noun
iron·weed
ˈī(-ə)rn-ˌwēd 
: any of a genus (Vernonia) of mostly weedy composite plants usually having alternate leaves and perfect red, purple, or white tubular flowers in terminal cymose heads
Examples of ironweed in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Tall, woody wildflowers like goldenrod, ironweed, teasel, mullein and the like can produce embers in seconds.
—
Bradley Duncan, Discover Magazine, 25 Dec. 2023
Leaving blackberry, mullein, ironweed, mountain mint, Joe Pye weed, sunflowers and wild bergamot standing can make a huge difference.
—Tovah Martin, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2023
This structure gives a sense of intentionality that distinguishes this garden from a wild prairie and takes advantage of the towering height of the Joe Pye weed and ironweed.
—Susan Brownstein, cleveland, 8 Aug. 2023
The hard path will offer close-up views of wildflowers in the fall, such as ironweed, milkweed and two varieties of goldenrod.
—Mary Jane Brewer, cleveland, 28 Sep. 2022
Rhett Steele lopes through the dense Indiana forest, oblivious of the ironweed and paw-paws and briars that grab at his legs.
—Doug Struck, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Sep. 2022
Dozens of monarch butterflies descended on the prairie at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Tuesday, feasting on the nectar of purple ironweed flowers and golden compass plant blossoms.
—Nara Schoenberg, Chicago Tribune, 9 Sep. 2022
The diminutive threadleaf ironweed (V. lettermannii) has become one of our favorites at Yew Dell for both foliage texture and bloom.
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 14 Aug. 2021
On the other end of the spectrum is the gigantic New York ironweed (V. noveboracensis) that puts those same violet flowers on 7-9-foot tall stems.
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 14 Aug. 2021
Bradley Duncan, Discover Magazine, 25 Dec. 2023
Leaving blackberry, mullein, ironweed, mountain mint, Joe Pye weed, sunflowers and wild bergamot standing can make a huge difference.
—Tovah Martin, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2023
This structure gives a sense of intentionality that distinguishes this garden from a wild prairie and takes advantage of the towering height of the Joe Pye weed and ironweed.
—Susan Brownstein, cleveland, 8 Aug. 2023
The hard path will offer close-up views of wildflowers in the fall, such as ironweed, milkweed and two varieties of goldenrod.
—Mary Jane Brewer, cleveland, 28 Sep. 2022
Rhett Steele lopes through the dense Indiana forest, oblivious of the ironweed and paw-paws and briars that grab at his legs.
—Doug Struck, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Sep. 2022
Dozens of monarch butterflies descended on the prairie at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Tuesday, feasting on the nectar of purple ironweed flowers and golden compass plant blossoms.
—Nara Schoenberg, Chicago Tribune, 9 Sep. 2022
The diminutive threadleaf ironweed (V. lettermannii) has become one of our favorites at Yew Dell for both foliage texture and bloom.
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 14 Aug. 2021
On the other end of the spectrum is the gigantic New York ironweed (V. noveboracensis) that puts those same violet flowers on 7-9-foot tall stems.
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 14 Aug. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ironweed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1819, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Ironweed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ironweed. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
ironweed
noun
iron·weed
-ˌwēd
: any of several mostly weedy plants related to the daisies and bearing clusters of red, purple, or white flowers
More from Merriam-Webster on ironweed
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ironweed
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