Joe-pye Weed
Eupatorium dubium

Joe-Pye weed is a native perennial plant with feathery, pinkish-purple flowers that bloom in mid- to late summer.

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Monarch butterfly visits a joe-pye weed plant in a field of joe-pye weeds.
Coastal plain joe-pye weed has clusters of tiny, feathery, pinkish-purple flowers that bloom in mid- to late summer. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)

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Appearance

Joe-Pye weed has clusters of tiny, feathery, pinkish-purple flowers, which bloom in July to September. Its stems are thick and are a mottled pink and purple color. Large, toothed leaves are arranged in whorls on the stem. Joe-Pye weed grows four to six feet tall.

Reproduction and life cycle

After blooming, flowers mature into a seed head. Wind, animals and other natural disturbances spread the seeds. New seedlings grow in spring.

Did you know?

  • Joe-Pye weed attracts bees, birds and butterflies.
  • It is named after Joe Pye, a 19th century naturalist from New England who is said to have used the plant’s roots to heal typhus fever.

Sources and additional information

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