The seeds are fluffy and brown and disperse nicely in the wind. Ironweed can be started outdoors with fall planting or after two months of moist-cold stratification. It will thrive in moister soils with full to partial sun.

How do you get seeds from ironweed?

Ironweed seeds are the white fluffy part inside of the hardened flower petals after the plant has “gone to seed.” You simply – yet carefully, peel back the hardened outside covering of the flowerhead to expose the seeds to harvest them for planting.

What do ironweed seeds look like?

The beautiful purple flowers will have been replaced by rusty yellow seed heads resembling rusty iron. Also, the stems of the plants are very tough like iron. Both attributes are what give the plants their “ironweed” name. The seed heads are a rusty yellow color similar to rusty iron.