Eupatorium maculatum

Perennial, wildflower

Plant in the spring after the last frost; blooms from mid-summer to fall

Full sun (at least 6 hours of daily sunlight) to partial shade; too much shade can cause legginess and flopping; appreciates some protection from the hot afternoon sun, especially in summer

50–70°F (10–21°C)

Prefers fertile, well-drained soil

3–9 (USDA)

2–3 weeks; requires stratification for about ten days at 40°F (4°C)

Tolerates nearly all soil pH levels

Keep soil evenly moist in the first growing season but not soggy; mature plants have some tolerance for short periods of drought; water about an inch per week if it has not rained

Usually not needed in fertile soil; for poor soil, apply a slow-release granule fertilizer in spring when new growth begins and again in midsummer when blooms appear; mixing compost into the soil in spring is beneficial

Clumping, upright, and sturdy growing habit

Seeds, division, and root cuttings

5–8 ft

4–5 ft

Mauve or pink-purple flowers blooming in large clusters atop tall, thick stems

Bees, birds, butterflies

Good choice for planting in rain gardens and for landscaping

Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed), aster (aster), Coreopsis triperis ‘Gold Standard’, Echinacea (coneflower), Monarda (beebalm), Phlox paniculata (garden phlox), and Physostegia (obedient plant)

Cut back dead stems in late fall or leave them for winter interest. Pinch back early for a shorter, bushier plant with more flowers. Deadhead blooms to control spreading

Non-toxic to humans and pets

Aphids, treehoppers, leaf beetles, and leaf miner flies

Powdery mildew

It’s named after Joseph Shauquethqueat, a Mohican sachem (paramount chief) and herbalist known to his white neighbors as Joe Pye, who lived in the Mohican community of Stockbridge, Massachusetts, during the late 1700s to early 1800s