purpureum

Eupatorium purpureum, lilac, lavender-purple, 5-8ft, July-September. This you could call the "originator". The true species Christopher Columbus had to machette his way thru to find the turkey! Although Linnaeus identified it. Then some guy named Joe thought he could eat it so he made a pie out of it and found out it was just another weed, hence our "Joe Pye Weed". In the "rea' world" is foems clumps to 4ft wide. Generally found in full sun to part shade in moisture retentive to wet soils, though we all know this will grow anywhere! Stems are upright, thick, round, and purple, with whorls of leaves at each node. Leaves can get up to 12"long. Flowers are in a terminal paniculate cyme(big loose head). The flowers are a frenzy ofr everything from insects, bees, butterflys, hummingbirds. Everything BUT deer! Every garden should have some kind of "Joe Pye Weed" in it. Native along the eastern US and more.(Eutrochium purpureum, new taxonomy)"Joe Pye weed","Kidney-root","Trumpet weed".