Eupatorium 'Baby Joe'

Eupatorium 'Baby Joe': Butterfly Buffet in a Compact Size

Joe Pye weed usually towers over the fence. 'Baby Joe' kept the big, rounded magenta-pink flower heads and skipped the growth spurt. ALL THE BUTTERFLIES, NONE OF THE LADDER.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Eupatorium dubium 'Baby Joe' (also listed as Eutrochium)
• Common Name: Joe Pye Weed
• Height: 70–75 cm (27–30 in)
• Spread: 75–90 cm (30–36 in)
• Flowers: Large, rounded heads of magenta-pink to mauve florets
• Bloom Time: Midsummer to early fall (July to September)
• Foliage: Coarse, dark green leaves in an upright, bushy mound
• Features: Good for cutting, seed heads for winter interest
• Plant Patent: USPP 20,320 / CPBR 4612

Where to Plant: It fits where full-size plants of its kind won't: the middle of a smaller border, a front-yard pollinator bed, or a large container. It is a good choice for rain gardens and low spots that stay damp.

Companion Plants: Anemone 'Honorine Jobert' grows 90 to 120 cm with white flowers in September and October, picking up as this compact Joe Pye weed finishes. Monarda didyma adds red bee balm from June to August. Along the front, Coreopsis verticillata 'Zagreb' brings fine leaves and yellow flowers from June to August. All three suit sun or part sun.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun or light shade in average to moist soil. Clay is fine. Water regularly during dry spells, since Joe Pye weeds wilt when they get thirsty, and add mulch to hold in moisture. Leave the seed heads standing for winter interest and cut the stems back in early spring. Divide in spring every few years if the clump gets crowded.

History: 'Baby Joe' was selected in the Netherlands by Hubertus Oudshoorn, who spotted it as a single compact seedling in his greenhouse in 2003, and it received a US plant patent in 2009. Joe Pye weeds are native to the moist meadows and streamsides of eastern North America, and botanists now place them in the genus Eutrochium.

Final Thoughts: Ideal for smaller yards and gardeners who don't own a stepladder. FULL-SIZE PARTY, FUN-SIZE PACKAGE.