Eupatorium serotinum

Common Names

Late Boneset, Boneset, Lateflowering Thoroughwort, Late Thoroughwort, White Boneset, Late-Flowering Boneset

Summary

Eupatorium serotinum is a tall, rhizomatous perennial native to eastern North America that typically grows 3–6 feet tall from a short caudex, with erect pubescent stems often reddish toward the base. Leaves are opposite and petiolate, lanceolate with coarse serration, up to about 7 inches long, and surfaces are gland-dotted. Flower heads are arranged in flat-topped corymbiform clusters, each head containing 9–15 white disc florets (no ray florets); blooming occurs from August to October. The species spreads by short rhizomes to form colonies and by wind-dispersed seeds, and is commonly found in moist to dry open sites such as roadsides and disturbed habitats across its eastern distribution.

Cultivation favors full sun to part shade and soils ranging from moist to moderately moist, including sandy loam to clay loam, and it tolerates disturbed sites such as roadsides; use in wildflower, prairie, cottage, and native plant gardens or ecological restoration. Practical considerations include propagation by seed, with a noted 60 days of cold stratification, and vegetative spread via a rhizomatous root system; seeds can be stored dried for a couple of years. Maintenance is relatively low, with removal of dying stems or spent flower heads recommended to manage spread. It provides substantial wildlife value, offering nectar and pollen for a wide range of pollinators, and can serve as a dramatic late-summer to fall display in naturalistic plantings; it is deer resistant.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

36-72 inches

Spread

3-4 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 4-8

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Full Sun; tolerates Partial Shade.

Soil Type

Moist, loamy soil rich in organic matter

Soil Drainage

Moist but well-drained.

Soil pH

Broad pH tolerance

acidic to alkaline to neutral

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Time

Late Summer to 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, other pollinators, and birds