Species page

Frostweed

Verbesina virginica

A tall fall-blooming perennial, frostweed is usually the most common wildflower of woodlands and forests along streams and in canyons in the eastern half of the state. The season’s first hard freeze cracks the stems of these plants; as the sap oozes out of the cracks, it freezes into lacy ice sculptures. Frostweed is also an excellent nectar source for butterflies.