Eupatorium purpureum

Common Names

Joe Pye Weed, Sweet Joe Pye Weed, Gravel Root, Purple Joe-Pye Weed, Sweet Scented Joe Pye Weed

Summary

Joe Pye weed is an upright, tall, clump-forming native perennial native to the eastern United States, typically reaching about 4–7 feet in height with a 3–4 foot spread, it features fragrant violet-purple, corymb-like panicles that bloom from mid-summer to early autumn, with lance-shaped, toothed leaves on cane-like stems, creating a dramatic vertical presence and abundant nectar for pollinators in moist sites such as streams and damp woods, in cultivation, it prefers full sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained soils, and is hardy in USDA zones 4–9, it tolerates clay and wet soils and can spread aggressively by rhizomes and self-sowing, requiring space in the garden, in landscapes it works at the back of borders or in mass plantings, and its tall, nectar-rich blooms attract bees and butterflies, making it suitable for native plantings, butterfly gardens, and moist meadows.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

4-8 feet

Spread

3-4 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 3-9

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Full Sun, tolerates Partial Shade.

Soil Type

Moist, well-drained fertile loamy soil

Soil Drainage

Moist, well-drained soil.

Soil pH

Mildly acidic to mildly alkaline, Not fussy about soil pH; tolerant of acidic, neutral, or alkaline soils, No single ideal pH

Bloom Color

Pink to Purple

Bloom Time

Summer and Fall.

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Fast

Seasons of Interest

Summer and Fall

Propagation Methods

Seeds and Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, butterflies, and other pollinators