Wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia)


          Wingstem is a perennial, native wildflower. The upper stem is topped with a dome of flowerheads. The one to two-inch, daisy-like flowers have a ragged appearance. The plant has alternate leaves that are 10 inches long and 2-1/2 inches across. It grows in thick, towering clusters that reach eight feet in height.  It grows well on moist wooded slopes, in open woodlands, along riverbanks, in shaded lowlands, along roadsides and in fields. (SF)