Eutrochium purpureum - Joe Pye Weed

Morphology/Growth Habits: Perennial wildflower with significant height in the right conditions! In the summer, domed clusters of tiny, dusky pink flowers with a sweet vanilla fragrance bloom. Dark green, lanceolate foliage with serrated edges. Upright and clump-forming growth. Spreads by seed, and can also be propagated by stem cuttings or division in the fall.

Height: 5-7 ft.

Light: Full Sun-Part Shade

Moisture: Medium

Bloom color: Pink

Bloom time: July-August

Habitat/Best Environments: Typically found in shady woodlands, moist prairies, and riverbanks. Can adapt to varying light conditions, but never full shade. Prefers consistently moist soil and does not tolerate dry soils. Great option for pollinator and rain gardens. 

Ecological relationships: This sweet-scented flower will attract many pollinators, including butterflies! Important nectar source for monarch and swallowtail butterflies. Larval host for several moth species, including Eupatorium Borer moth and Great Tiger moth. Deer resistant.

*Various parts of this plant are used in many Indigenous medicines, including to treat wounds and menstrual pains.

*Please soil test and do proper research before growing a plant for human consumption.

Fun facts: This plant is thought to be named after Joseph Shauquethqueat, a Mohican tribal leader who also had the English name ‘Joe Pye’. Legend has it he cured an entire community of colonists from typhus with this plant, although there isn’t written evidence to support it. It is thought that Shauquethqueat was still seen with this plant and likely taught colonists about it, leading to it being his namesake.