Eutrochium fistulosum (Hollow Joe Pye Weed) - NC Ecotype
The tallest and most abundant Joe Pye Weed is Eutrochium fistulosum, beautiful in the landscape and beneficial for wildlife. This fast-growing perennial strikes a pose high over other plants, providing salmon-pink blooms for summer butterflies and bees.
The tallest and most abundant Joe Pye Weed is Eutrochium fistulosum, beautiful in the landscape and beneficial for wildlife. This fast-growing perennial strikes a pose high over other plants, providing salmon-pink blooms for summer butterflies and bees.
The tallest and most abundant Joe Pye Weed is Eutrochium fistulosum, beautiful in the landscape and beneficial for wildlife. This fast-growing perennial strikes a pose high over other plants, providing salmon-pink blooms for summer butterflies and bees.
Eutrochium fistulosum is the largest of the Joe Pye Weed species native to our region, reaching heights of up to 7’ with a 4’ spread. They perform best in moist soils, tolerating periods of flooding and well-drained soils given frequent rainfall, such as in the Appalachian mountains. They can grow in partial shade but need at least 2 hours of full sun, but in sunnier areas will grow best in clays that are rarely dry. They produce dense foliage and large, showy clusters of salmon-pink blooms that can be faintly fragrant. Best presented as a backdrop for lower growing plants, they are resistant to deer and rabbits.
Eutrochium species are great for pollinators, butterflies in particular. The deep florets are best accessible by insects with longer tongues, such as certain types of bees, bee-mimic flies, moths, and numerous colorful butterflies. They can host several species of Lepidoptera, including some which prefer the Eutrochium genus, as well as seed and insects for birds. Eutrochium fistulosum also has noticeably hollow stems, a perfect nesting place for some tiny creatures to nest overwinter if left in place.
Pollinators: bumblebees, leafcutter and resin bees, long-horned bees, honey bees, butterflies, skippers, moths, bee flies, wasps
Host Plant for Butterflies/Moths: 10+ Lepidoptera species in our region
Dependent Species: Joe Pye Weed Borer (Papaipema eupatorii)
Wildlife Value: Songbirds, Thrushes, Wood Warblers, shelter, hollow-stems
Deer Resistance: Moderate
Native Region: Appalachian Mountains, Piedmont, Coastal Plain
Seed Origin: Orange County, NC
Ecoregion: 45 - Piedmont
USDA Zones: 4-8
States found in our region: AL, DE, GA, KY, MD, NC, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV
Other states found: AR, CT, FL, IL, IN, LA, ME, MA, MI, MS, MO, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, RI, TX, WI