Eutrochium purpureum
Tall, native, clump-forming perennial in the Aster family with vanilla-scented pinkish-to-purple blooms arranged in dome-shaped heads, blooming from summer to early fall and attracting butterflies and bees.
Common Names
Joe-Pye Weed, Joe Pye Weed, Purple Joe-Pye Weed, Spotted Joe-Pye Weed, Sweet Joe-Pye Weed, Sweetscented Joe-Pye Weed, Pride of the Meadow, Queen of the Meadow, Gravel Weed, Marsh Milkweed, Indian Sage, Indian Gravel Root, Motherwort
Summary
Purple Joe-Pye weed is a tall native perennial in the Asteraceae family, ranging from southeastern Canada to the eastern and central United States. It grows as erect clumps 4–7 ft tall and about 2–4 ft wide, with green stems and whorled leaves in groups of three to four. Large domed inflorescences, 12–18 inches across, bear tiny pinkish-purple to lavender flowers and emit a vanilla scent; bloom occurs mid-summer to early fall, and the plant is a magnet for bees and butterflies, with seed heads persisting into winter.
It prefers sun to partial shade and consistently moist, rich, well-drained soils, tolerates clay soils, and thrives in moist woodland edges, meadows, or near water. In landscape use, it lends dramatic back borders or mass plantings and suits cottage, native, meadow, rain garden, and naturalized settings; it propagates by division in fall or early spring or by seeds that require about three months of cold, moist stratification to germinate; a compact cultivar named 'Little Red' reaches about 3–4 ft. Deer-resistant and highly attractive to a broad range of pollinators.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
4-6 feet
Spread
2-4 feet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 4-9
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun to partial shade.
Soil Type
Moist, well-drained loamy soil rich in organic matter
Soil Drainage
Moist, well-drained soil
Soil pH
6.0-8.0; tolerates acidic to calcareous soils.
Bloom Color
Pink, purple, and lavender.
Bloom Time
Summer
Foliage Color
Dark green
Fall Foliage Color
Green
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Moderate – fast
Seasons of Interest
Summer and Fall
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Division, Stem cuttings, Basal stem cuttings, Root cuttings, Rhizome (clonal) propagation (natural)
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees, butterflies, and birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (L.) E.E.Lamont
- Publication
- Sida 21: 902 (2004)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Asterales
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Subfamily
- Asteroideae
- Tribe
- Eupatorieae
- Subtribe
- Eupatoriinae
- Genus
- Eutrochium
Inferior Taxa
Eutrochium purpureum var. holzingeri Eutrochium purpureum var. purpureum
Synonyms
Eupatorium purpureum f. purpureum Eupatorium trifoliatum var. amoenum Eupatorium purpureum var. purpureum Eupatorium purpureum var. verticillatum Eupatorium trifoliatum Cunigunda purpurea Eupatorium purpureum var. album Eupatorium purpureum subsp. purpureum