Vernonia noveboracensis 'White Lightning'

Vernonia noveboracensis ‘White Lightning’ is a rarely grown herbaceous perennial that deserves to be more widely cultivated — producing unusual, nectar-rich flowers at the very end of the season, when they are most needed by pollinators.

Native to the eastern USA, it thrives in sun to partial shade in any moist but well-drained loamy or clay soil. Tall, branched stems carry dark green lanceolate leaves and, from August to November, globular flowerheads of many small creamy-white tubular flowers that open at the tip into a five-pointed star — of particular interest to butterflies and moths.

Deadhead to encourage more flowering stems, but leave the last ones in place for attractive winter seedheads. An excellent cut flower, and a welcome addition to cottage, informal, wildlife, and woodland-edge gardens.

Height × Spread: 180cm × 100cm