Missouri Ironweed

Vernonia missurica

Pollinator Value

🐛 Larval Host: Dichomeris washingtoniella, Vanessa virginiensis (American Lady)
S14 Nearctic host record; S3 butterfly host
🐝 Specialist Bee Host: Megachile inimica, Melissodes denticulatus, Melissodes subillatus
S3 OWSL specialized bees; S17 Fowler genus-level Vernonia specialists

Proximity Score: 2
Native Status: ❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: SW
CEC Eco-Regions: 8 – Eastern Temperate Forests, 8.1 – Mixed Wood Plains, 8.1.2 – Lake Erie Lowland
Rarity Notes: Ranked S3 (Vulnerable) in Ontario and N3 nationally in Canada. Globally secure at G4. Not listed under SARA. Ontario populations are concentrated in the extreme southwest near the Michigan border, representing the northeastern limit of the species' range.
S22+S26+S48
Rarity Ranks: QC SNA – Not Applicable, ON S3 – Vulnerable
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: Missouri ironweed occupies wet prairies, fens, sedge meadows, and river-bottom forests in the southern Great Lakes region. In Ontario it is restricted to the Lake Erie Lowland (CEC 8.1.2) with specimens from the Ojibway Prairie complex near Windsor and Chatham-Kent. Ranked S3 (Vulnerable) in Ontario, it is a species at the northern edge of its range, centered on the mid-continental prairies from Missouri to Texas.
S7+S48+S22+S4

Roles: Fire Retardant, Fortress/Barrier, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fire Retardant: S73 [MEDIUM]: S11 Fire Tolerance = High (not definitional)] | Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: spines? (supporting signal only)] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [MEDIUM]: S68 10 bee associations (threshold=3)]
Notes: OWSL recommends pairing with prairie associates including fireweed, Virginia wild rye, tall boneset, and grey-headed prairie coneflower. Tolerates juglone, making it suitable for planting near black walnut. A substitute for non-native Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) in garden design.
S3

Category: Dermatological Aid
S28 Kiowa Drug, Dermatological Aid
Notes: Kiowa used a decoction of the plants as a wash for dandruff. This is the only documented medicinal use in the Moerman database. No phytochemical data available, and not listed in Health Canada NHPID.
S28+S31+S36

✅ Edible

Foraging Notes: Kiowa pressed blossoms into small wads for a short, sweet chew. This represents an incidental traditional use rather than a staple food source. USDA rates human palatability as None.
S28+S11