White Crownbeard, Frostweed, Iceplant, Virginia crownbeard - Verbesina virginica
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Verbesina virginica - White Crownbeard, Frostweed, Iceplant, Virginia crownbeard. There are 18 Verbesina species in North America, with at least one species found in most states. The extreme northwest, extreme northeast, and Minnesota don't have a Verbesina species. The composite flowers of White Crownbeard are, as expected based on the name, white. If I'm interpreting the keys in the online version of Flora of North America correctly, the only other white Verbesina in the United States is V. microptera - Texas Crownbeard - which is found only south Texas.
Of the 18 species, 6, including White Crownbeard, may have winged stems: V. alternifolia, V. helianthoides, V. occidentalis, V. heterophylla, V. virginica, V. microptera.
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Distribution of Verbesina virginica in the United States and Canada:
Map courtesy of The Biota of North America Program.
Map color key
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| | Site: Walker County, GA Date: 2010-September-06 | Photographer: Gerald C. Williamson
Nikon D60
Tamron SP 90MM f/2.8 AF Macro | | The blossoms of White Crownbeard are white or perhaps a white with an ocher tint. The disk florets are not as bright a white as the ray florets. | | 
| | Site: Walker County, GA Date: 2010-September-06 | Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D60 | | According to Flora of North America, Verbesina virginica normally has 2 or 3 ray florets, but may have only a single one, as shown here. The blossoms will also have between 8 and 12 - occasionally up to 15 - disk florets. These appear to have 9 or 10. The pistil is surrounded tightly by dark purple stamens. | | Click on the photo for a larger image
| | Site: Walker County, GA Date: 2010-September-06 | Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D60 | There may be 100 or blossoms on a plant in heads terminating several branches arising from the upper leaf axils. The leaves are usually more or less lanceolate as in this photo, and are occasionally toothed or have a wavy (sinuate) margin. More rarely they may be lobed.
Verbesina virginica may be up to 7 feet tall. | | Click on the photo for a larger image
| | Site: Walker County, GA Date: 2010-September-06 | Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D60 | | The leaves are alternate (sometime so closely alternate as to appear opposite) with winged petioles. The wings extend down the stems in most cases. The upper stems may not be winged, and I have observed an individual plant without wings among a colony of winged White Crownbeard. | | Click on the photo for a larger image
| | Site: Walker County, GA Date: | Photographer: Jay Clark | This is the source of the "Frostweed" common name.
Photograph used by permission of Jay Clark. | | Click on the photo for a larger image
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