Bloomipedia
Western ironweed (Vernonia baldwinii)
Photo: Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋） via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Western ironweed

Vernonia baldwinii

Native in the lower 48

Western ironweed is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–September.

14states
2of our state lists
8,450U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Kansas, Oklahoma

Quick look

Vernonia baldwinii, commonly known as western ironweed or Baldwin's ironweed, is a perennial herb native to the central United States. It is in the Asteraceae (aster) family.

  • It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 14 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Oklahoma and Kansas. NatureServe
  • In Oklahoma, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–August. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 779 research-grade sightings of it in Oklahoma, ranking #38 among the 110 flowers on our Oklahoma list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 733 research-grade sightings of it in Kansas, ranking #24 among the 109 flowers on our Kansas list. iNaturalist

Western ironweed gift ideas

Handmade western ironweed gifts from independent makers.

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (392 records)
Bloom time in each of our 2 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
OklahomaNativeJuly–August779
KansasNativefew records733

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Oklahoma
No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oklahoma.
Kansas
No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Kansas.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CO (S2), LA (S2), MN (SH). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records Western ironweed in 14 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas.

Oklahoma counties with USDA records: Adair, Alfalfa, Beaver, Beckham, Blaine, Bryan, Caddo, Canadian, Carter, Cherokee, Choctaw, Cleveland, Coal, Comanche, Creek, Custer, Delaware, Dewey, Garvin, Grady, Grant, Greer, Harmon, Harper, Haskell, Jefferson, Johnston, Kay, Kingfisher, Latimer, Le Flore, Logan, Love, Major, Marshall, Mayes, McClain, McCurtain, Murray, Muskogee, Noble, Okfuskee, Oklahoma, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Payne, Pittsburg, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Pushmataha, Sequoyah, Tulsa, Woods.

Kansas counties with USDA records: Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Barber, Barton, Bourbon, Brown, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Clark, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Comanche, Cowley, Crawford, Decatur, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Edwards, Elk, Ellis, Ellsworth, Ford, Franklin, Geary, Graham, Gray, Greenwood, Hamilton, Harper, Harvey, Hodgeman, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Johnson, Kingman, Kiowa, Labette, Leavenworth, Lincoln, Linn, Logan, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Meade, Miami, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morris, Morton, Nemaha, Neosho, Ness, Norton, Osage, Osborne, Ottawa, Pawnee, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Rawlins, Reno, Republic, Rice, Riley, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Saline, Scott, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Stevens, Sumner, Thomas, Trego, Wabaunsee, Washington, Wilson, Woodson, Wyandotte.

More Oklahoma flowers

Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Common yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Native

🌼 Blooms in OK: April–June
White snakeroot (Ageratina altissima)

White snakeroot

Ageratina altissima

Native

🌼 Blooms: August–October
Sunflowers (Helianthus)

Sunflowers

Helianthus

★ KS state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms: June–October

Sources