Eutrochium maculatum (Spotted Joe-Pye Weed)

Scientific Name

Eutrochium maculatum (L.) E.E.Lamont

Common Names

Spotted Joe-Pye Weed

Synonyms

Eupatoriadelphus maculatus var. maculatus, Eupatorium maculatum var. maculatum, Eupatorium purpureum var. maculatum, Eupatorium purpureum subsp. maculatum, Eupatorium trifoliatum var. maculatum, Eutrochium maculatum var. maculatum

Scientific Classification

Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Asteroideae
Tribe: Eupatorieae
Genus: Eutrochium

Flower

Color: Rose-purple
Bloom Time: Late summer

Description

Eutrochium maculatum is an herbaceous perennial, growing up to 6.6 feet (2 m) tall. Stems are sometimes completely purple, sometimes green with purple spots. One plant can produce numerous rose-purple flower heads in late summer, each head with 8-22 disc flowers but no ray flowers. The binomial name “maculatum”, meaning spotted, refers to the purple spots on the stem.

Photo via plantthis.com.au

How to Grow and Care

Sweet Joe Pye Weed is happiest with full sun to part shade in moist to wet soils. It prefers that the soil does not dry out which is why clay works well for Joe Pye. It has no serious insect or disease problems.

Sweet Joe Pye Weed just isn’t a fussy or difficult plant to grow. If you do not want Sweet Joe Pye Weed to spread hither and yon, then cut the seed heads off.

If you are propagating by seed in the fall, then plant thickly as germination is usually low. Propagation is best from softwood cuttings taken in late spring or by division in fall as they go dormant, or in the spring just as shoots first appear… – See more at: Growing and Using Sweet Joe Pye Weed