Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Asteraceae

Genus:

Verbesina

Species:

Verbesina alata

USDA Symbol:

VEAL4

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Annual | Perennial

Growth Habit:

Forb/herb

Height:

200 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

Low

Bloom Months:

aug,sep,oct,nov

Bloom Colors:

yellow

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)

Butterflies & Moths:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)

Keystone Species Ranking

Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:

★★★★★ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

bees, butterflies, birds

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts from rootstock following fire; commonly found in fire-maintained prairies and woodland edges.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

moist, fertile, well-drained soil

pH:

5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

tolerates poor drainage

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

commonly found in wetlands and floodplains

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days

Germination Time:

14–30 days

Notes:

Seeds germinate readily after cold stratification; surface sow as light may aid germination.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI