Description
Keystone Value: The genus Eupatorium (Joe Pye) supports over 40 species of butterfly and moth caterpillars, providing food for a variety of birds and mammals.
Sweet Joe Pye weed is a tall, showy plant that is found in wooded slopes, and wet meadows. It typically grows from 3 to 7 feet tall with coarsely-serrated, dark green foliage. The showy, mauve pink, sweet-scented flowers attract butterflies and pollinators of all sorts. It is the host plant for many interesting butterflies and moths, including the delightful Ruby Tiger Moth (pictured above). Sweet Joe Pye can be used in a rain garden or to naturalize, and should be placed at the rear of a garden because of its height.
