‘Little Joe’ Eupatorium

Common Names

Joe Pye Weed, Spotted Joe Pye Weed, Boneset, Spotted Trumpetweed

Summary

Spotted Joe-Pye weed is a North American native perennial that forms tall, clumping stands up to 4–7 ft with purple-spotted stems and whorled leaves four to five per node, leaves up to about 9 inches long; it bears flat-topped clusters of mauve-pink to dusty rose-purple flowers from midsummer to early fall, with vanilla-scented blooms that attract butterflies and other pollinators; it spreads by rhizomes to form colonies.

Cultivation prefers full sun to partial shade in moist to wet soils and is hardy in USDA zones 4–8; space plants about 3 ft apart to accommodate height and spread, with mature dimensions roughly 4–7 ft tall and 3–4 ft wide; propagation is by division; landscape uses include wildlife gardens, rain gardens, bioswales, mass plantings, and cut flowers.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

4-7 ft

Spread

3-4 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 4-8

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun to partial shade.

Soil Type

Moist to wet loamy soil

Soil Drainage

Moist to wet soils; tolerates some standing water

Soil pH

Tolerates all pH levels

Bloom Color

Pink

Bloom Time

Summer to Fall

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Medium rate.

Seasons of Interest

Summer and Fall

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Cuttings, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, butterflies, other pollinators, and birds