Scientific name: Eupatorium purpureum
Family: ASTERACEAE
Common names: “Joe Pye weed” “grass root” “gravel weed” “kidney wort” “marsh milkweed” “motherwort” “purple boneset” “purple hemp agrimony” “queen of the prairie” “quill wort” “sisters of healing” “skunkweed” “trumpet weed”
Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
Conditions:
Zone: 3-9
Light: Full sun – part shade
Exposure: Exposed
Soil: Not picky, tolerates clay
Moisture: Best with medium moisture
Aesthetic:
Plant Size: H 6-10′ W 3-6′ , clump forming
Leaf and Stem shape: Long lance-shaped, sometimes purple-tinged leaves
Flower: Domed clusters of small, purplish-pink flowers in late summer and early autumn
Maintenance: Medium, enjoys a bit of lime, best to divide in the fall or early spring = big job as the root ball is quite large, doesn’t need dividing often, doesn’t benefit from deadheading so chop low after bloom
Landscape use: Flower borders, wildlife garden, informal cottage, prairie
Propagate: By seed and division
Pests & Disease: Can get powdery mildew if too dry
*Deer resistant, attracts bees and butterflies
Comments: Native to Eastern North America, quite large dominant plant while in flower
Cultivars: E. p. ‘Little Joe’ reclassified to Eutrochium dubium ‘Little Joe’
