Plant of the Month August 2021: Hollow Joe-pye-weed

Hollow Joe-pye-weed, Eutrochium fistulosum

Photos & Article by Betsy Washington

Joe-pye-weeds, Eutrochium, are among our most dramatic late summer perennials lighting up both fields and gardens. They have distinctive leaves arranged in whorls at intervals along sturdy stems, topped with large rosy- purple to soft mauve pink flowerheads. These late season beauties begin to bloom in late July and often continue blooming well into September and are superlative pollinator plants, attracting clouds of butterflies, bees, and more.

Hollow Joe-pye-weed, Eutrochium fistulosum, is one of the most dramatic, with tall statuesque stems that can soar to 8 or 9’ in height (more typically 5 – 7’) creating a stunning spectacle. Hollow Joe-pye has several common names, including Queen of the Meadow and Trumpetweed, all referring to the dramatic beauty of this perennial wildflower. As the common name “hollow” Joe-pye-weed suggests, the tall stout stems have a mostly hollow central cavity along their length. The stems themselves can be dark or pale purple with a glaucous or whitish surface. The large toothed, lance-shaped leaves are up to 9” long and arranged in distinctive whorls of 3 to 7 at intervals along the stem. Each leaf is tapered to a point at each end and is rugose or wrinkled on the surface adding to the textural character of the plant.

The tall stems are largely unbranched except near the top and are crowned with huge dome-shaped flowerheads consisting of many smaller heads each with 4 to 7 flowers. Each individual flower or floret, referred to as a disk floret, is quite small and lacks the showy ray petals of many members of the Aster family. The female reproductive part or style is extruded beyond the end of the corolla and is bifurcate giving the inflorescence a distinctive fuzzy look. Despite the small size of individual florets and their lack of showy “ray” or petal-like florets, the cloud-like inflorescences are extremely showy and can reach up to 1.5 feet high and 1 foot wide. The flowers are lightly fragrant with an appealing vanilla scent and make excellent cut or dried flowers. In fall, the showy flowers give way to attractive buff colored seed heads that persist into late fall. Each small seed is attached to bristly hairs that help disperse the seeds in the wind.

Certainly, one of the most attractive features of Joe-pye-weed is their rich nectar that makes them superlative pollinator plants. It is not unusual to see several species of butterflies including Monarchs and Swallowtails, along with a variety of bees nectaring together on a single flowerhead. Late blooming plants like Joe-pye-weed are especially important for butterflies like the Monarch preparing for and during fall migration. Other pollinators include bumble bees, honeybees, bee flies, small skippers, and moths and Joe-pyes are an important source of honey. They are also the host plant for the lovely Pearl Crescent butterfly as well as at least six species of moths. Songbirds, especially swamp sparrows, relish the small seeds in fall as do, many of our migrating songbirds making this plant a virtual wildlife buffet.

Hollow Joe-pye-weed occurs naturally in nearly every county in Virginia including all counties in the Northern Neck. It prefers moist soils and occurs naturally in wet meadows, along roadside ditches, floodplain forests, alluvial swamps, and stream shores.

All Joe-pye-weeds are easy to grow garden plants as long as the soil does not become too dry. They prefer full to part sun, and rich, loamy to sandy soils, but will even grow in gravelly soils, and require very little maintenance except to be cut back to the ground in later winter. They are rarely bothered by pests or diseases and their bitter-tasting foliage deters herbivores like rabbits and deer. Hollow-joe-pye-weed needs plenty of room as these statuesque perennials can spread into large, eye-catching clumps several feet in diameter.

Hollow Joe-pye-weed can be the centerpiece of the late summer garden and make a splendid tall accent plant for the back of garden borders. It is also perfect for butterfly or rain gardens, or planted in low areas along stream, ponds, or along riverbanks where their fibrous roots help stabilize the soil and prevent erosion. Joe-pye- weed grows naturally in moist areas with other showy native late summer-fall plants like New York Ironweed with dramatic purple inflorescences, asters, goldenrods, and native grasses like Switchgrasses. Together they can create an amazing garden masterpiece.

With several species of native Joe-pye-weed to choose from, there is surely one that is perfect for every garden no matter how large or small. (See the August 2019 Plant of the Month article for more on the small Coastal Joe-pye-weed, typically topping out at 4’ or less).

And be sure to mark your calendar for our Northern Neck Chapter’s Virginia Native Plant Society Fall Native Plant Sale beginning on Sept. 18th at Dug In Farm in White Stone where you can find gorgeous Joe-pye-weeds along with many other beautiful pollinator plants! A member only presale is planned for Sept. 17th; watch for more information.

Left Photo: Although Joe-pye-weed is not a host plant for Monarchs, it is an important Fall nectar source for them. Right Photo: Note the striking whorled foliage with blooms on tall stems & over a dozen Monarchs in the photo.