Eupatorium maculatum

Eupatorium maculatum: Tall Late-Summer Height for Soggy Spots

This native Joe Pye weed shoots up past the neighbour's fence and spreads mauve-pink flower heads like satellite dishes for butterflies. Wet clay, soggy corners? IT TAKES THE JOB NOBODY ELSE WANTS.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Eupatorium maculatum (now Eutrochium maculatum)
• Common Name: Spotted Joe Pye Weed
• Height: 120–180 cm (4–6 ft)
• Spread: 90–120 cm (3–4 ft)
• Flowers: Large, flat-topped clusters of dusky mauve-pink florets
• Bloom Time: Midsummer to early fall (July to September)
• Foliage: Lance-shaped, toothed green leaves in whorls of three to five on purple-spotted or purple stems
• Features: Tolerates wet and clay soil

Where to Plant: Use it at the back of the border, in a rain garden, by a pond, or in a naturalized meadow. It tolerates wet and clay soil, and it gives late-summer height and colour when many plants are done.

Companion Plants: Plant spotted Joe Pye weed in a wet, sunny or part-shade native bed, at a pond edge or in a rain garden. Caltha palustris opens golden marsh marigolds at 30 to 45 cm in April and May. Chelone glabra adds white turtleheads at 60 to 120 cm in August and September. Lobelia cardinalis brings scarlet cardinal flower spikes at 60 to 120 cm from July to September. Carex muskingumensis adds bright green, palm-like whorls at 60 to 90 cm.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun or light shade in moist, average to rich soil. Clay is fine, and it can handle periodically wet ground. In drier spots, water during dry spells and mulch to hold moisture, since thirsty plants wilt and drop lower leaves. Stems usually stand without staking. Cutting them back by about half in early June gives a shorter, bushier plant. Leave the seed heads over winter for birds and structure, then cut the stems down in early spring. Divide large clumps in spring every few years.

History: Spotted Joe Pye weed grows wild in wet meadows, marsh edges and ditches across much of northern and eastern North America, including Ontario and Quebec, and maculatum means spotted, for its purple-flecked stems. The common name is traditionally linked to a New England man named Joe Pye who is said to have used the plant medicinally.

Final Thoughts: Plant it at the back of a rain garden and watch the butterflies file in like it's opening day. BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE.