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One of the more robust perennials with a host of wildlife benefits, Eupatorium perfoliatum is a great choice for pollinator gardens. Typically found on pond edges and wet meadows, this species also does well in average garden soils in full to part-sun. It produces deep, fibrous roots, allowing it to wish-stand long dry periods, and it works well in rain gardens. The name “Common Boneset” is a reference to the unusual shape of the leaves “stitched” together, and the foliage adds a luxuriant texture to the garden. The large clusters of white flowers appear on stalks up to 5’ high in mid-late summer, blooming for weeks well into fall. The flowers also produce a faint fragrance. While Eupatorium perfoliatum can reseed, it requires wetter soils to spread easily, and can be deadheaded if necessary.
Eupatorium perfoliatum is a crucial plant for insect pollinators. Its large, long-lasting inflorescences are easy to access, making them popular with many beneficial predatory wasp species, as well as rarely seen pollinators like small moths. Many of the wasp species attracted by Eupatorium perfoliatum hunt insect pests that are fed to their young, providing an ecological service in the home garden. This perennial is also a host to dozens of different species of moths, providing food for nesting birds and other wildlife. Similar to species of Pycnanthemum, these flowers can be a great source for observing unique insects up close.
Pollinators: bumblebees, chimney bees, leafcutter bees, miner bees, sweat bees, yellow-faced bees, butterflies, skippers, hawkmoths, flower flies, beetles, beetle wasps, carrot wasps, chalcid wasps, cicada killer wasps, fly hunter wasps, grass-carrying wasps, grasshopper-hunting wasps, horse guard wasps, mason wasps, mole cricket hunter wasps, mud dauber wasps, potter wasps, sand wasps, scoliid wasps, spider wasps, square-headed wasps, thread-waisted wasps, thynnid flower wasps
Host Plant for Butterflies/Moths: Summer Azure Butterfly (Celastrina neglecta), 35+ species of moths
Dependent Species: Boneset Borer Moth (Carmenta pyralidiformis)
Wildlife Value: Songbirds, Thrushes, Wood Warblers, shelter
Deer Resistance: Very Good
Native Region: Appalachian Mountains, Piedmont, Coastal Plain
Seed Origin: Ashe County, NC
Ecoregion: 66 - Blue Ridge
Light Recommendation: Full Sun, Part-sun
Soil Moisture Recommendation: Wet, Medium-Wet, Moist, Medium
USDA Zones: 3-9
States found in our region: AL, DE, GA, KY, MD, NC, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV
Other states found: AR, CT, FL, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MA, ME, MI, MO, MN, MS, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, RI, SD, TX, VT, WI