Sweet Joe-pye’s lavender-pink feathery blooms appear from July-September and bring a wealth of insect activity to the shadier areas of your garden. A wonderful addition to butterfly gardens or rain gardens; its vanilla scent is irresistible to monarchs, swallowtails, and many other butterflies. 
 
Natural habitats include open woodlands, savannas, woodland borders, partially shaded riverbanks, and degraded wooded areas. Equally lovely in the back of formal borders as it is interspersed with taller species in open areas.  
 
Plant Characteristics:
Grows 4-7’ tall and 2-3’ wide.
 
Prefers dappled sun to part shade.  Of all the Joe-pye weeds, this is the most shade tolerant.
 
Generally prefers medium-wet to medium-dry soil, but tolerates some drier conditions and adapts to clay and alkaline soils.
 
Tooth-edged leaves are lance shaped and 6-12” long.  There are usually 4-5 leaves in each whorl.
 
Sturdy, unbranched stems are plentiful, green, and smooth with purple blotches at the nodes.
 
Wildlife Value:
Joe-Pye is a host plant for the larvae of 32 species of Lepidoptera, including four moth specialists that rely completely on plants in the Eupatorium family: eupatorium borer (no photo available), boneset borer,  three-lined borer, tricose dart and slender flower moths.  Sweet Joe-pye’s nectar attracts bumblebees, miner bees, leaf cutter bees, skippers, and  a large number of butterflies, including American painted lady, cloudless sulpher, little glassy wing skipper, monarchs, tiger swallowtail, and zabulon skipper. Other insects that feed on the plant include leaf beetles, hoppers, and special aphids. Several smaller species of birds eat the seeds, and deer and rabbits browse on the tender leaves and stalks.
 
Medicinal and Edible Uses:
Native Americans used Joe-pye weed extensively for a wide range of ailments, including colds, kidney trouble, gout, gastrointestinal issues, and burns.  Also used as a laxative and an antiseptic.