A brook borders the northern edge of our property, and several clumps of Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium fistulosum) grow along the banks. I love the silvery mauve blossoms, which are large enough and tall enough to be seen across the chicken yard, a good seventy feet away.

Allan Armitage, in his Native Plants for North American Gardens, says, “The combination of Joe-Pyes, goldenrod, and asters all flowering together gives fall color another meaning.” Armitage confirms what I’ve always maintained, that fall starts in mid-August here, though I have to admit that the asters are just starting, while the Joe-Pye weed and the goldenrod are at their peak. They do look swell together.

Three eupatoriums are fairly similar. I know my Joe-Pye weed is Eupatorium fistulosum because I cut one open and saw that it has hollow stems. The other two, E. purpureum and E. maculatum, both have solid pith, but E. maculatum has spots on the stems. According to William Cullina in Wildflowers: A Guide to Growing and Propagating Native Flowers of North America, “the names are used interchangeably in the trade, and there is some confusion about the identity of several selected cultivars. …[But] all make excellent garden plants.” However, the USDA says my Joe-Pye weed is actually Eupatoriadelphus fistulosus.

As you would expect from a native plant, the blossoms attract a variety of wildlife.

This butterfly posed for several shots, but I’m afraid I don’t know which one it is.

Posted for Wildflower Wednesday, created by Gail of Clay and Limestone, to share wildflowers/native plants no matter where you garden in the blogasphere. It doesn’t matter if we sometimes show the same plants. How they grow and thrive in your garden is what matters most. It’s always the fourth Wednesday of the month!

Tags: joe-pye weed, Joe-Pye, chicken yard, brook, Weed, gardening, Joe-Pyes, Garden, eupatorium, Clay