This is New York Ironweed, Vernonia noveboracensis; but it is also called Ironweed.  

 

Ironweed is a native plant in the eastern US, and it is blooming right now.  There is some in the field just before you turn onto Mocassin Church Rd, and this one is in the Union County Methodist Church parking lot.  They grow from 3-9 feet tall, and bloom from August-October.  Butterflies love them for their nectar:  lots of flowers close together.  

 

You can see them in waste places, roadsides, and low ground from New York south to Florida, and west to Alabama, Kentucky and West Virginia.  So be on the lookout when you're out for a drive.  The color of the flowers just takes my breath away.  Here's a close up pic.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!