FLOWER OF THE MONTH: Joe-Pye weed

Many late summer flowers are flashy and tall, rising above the lush foliage to attract pollinators. Without a doubt, reaching full potential as flashy and tall, the king of these late summer/early fall flowers is Joe-Pye weed Eutrochium fistulosum (Barratt) Lamont. They are at the peak of their splendor right now and bloom from July into October, bearing fruit in September and October. They were once classified in a different genus (Euptorium), but are now considered part of the genus Eutrochium which includes five herbaceous perennials that occur in the mountains and piedmont of eastern North America and are part of the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family, second only in number of genera to the Orchid family.

The Joe-Pye weeds we are admiring now are huge, stately plants rising up to 10 feet tall with multiple, mostly hollow stems with a vanilla odor, whorled leaves, and topped with large round clumps of showy pink to purplish flowers. A stand of Joe-Pye weeds in bloom can be admired from a considerable distance and provides nectar for a wide variety of pollinators, including Monarch butterflies. Later, flocks of goldfinches can be spotted harvesting the tiny seeds of Joe-Pye.

The legend of its common name is that an Indian medicine man (or early settler) named Jopi or Joe Pye used infusions from the plant to cure typhoid fever. Another legend is that native Americans used the hollow stems to breathe underwater when they were being pursued.

Photo by Linda Martinson