It has a small purple flower at the top, and a strong, iron-like stem.
People cuss it and confuse it with a weed, but it's a wildflower, sure enough.
A tough one, too. It grows most often along railroad tracks and fencerows, and there is a lot of ironweed in Boone County. It's much prettier out in the wild than in the picture books. Some folks around here say they are strong similarities between the band and the wildflower. And when the folks want to dance, they can play some nice waltzes and two-steps, too.