Plant Profile: Verbesina virginica (frostweed).

January 6th, 2002
Verbesina virginica

Verbesina virginica
I don’t know where my frostweed came from, but it has established itself in my north border among the nandina and it will not go away. I tried cutting it back to the ground for several years and it just kept coming back. During the summer the large coarse leaves suffer from heat and drought and look ragged. But come fall, it brightens the shady spot with large heads of small white flowers which attract bees and butterflies. With all the rain we had in 2001, it produced absolutely stunning flower heads with a scent reminiscent of alyssum.

So I’ve decided to live and let live.

As it turns out, frostweed likes the loamy soils by creeks or in the shade of large trees. So with a little more care on my part, it might become a welcome addition to the north border.
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