My native Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium maculatum) didn’t hit 12 feet this year like it did last year, but it’s still a respectable 8 feet.
I love this late-summer-blooming perennial because it’s irresistible to bees and butterflies. I tried to take a steady photo of the bumblebees on the flowers, but the mosquitoes were making it impossible to stand still. Trust me, the flowers are always humming with bees.
You can use Joe Pye Weed as a screen to cover the not-so-pretty areas of your yard. I planted mine in the corner of our lot where there are two ugly utility poles and a (neighbor’s) chicken coop.
Native Joe Pye Weed grows 4 to 6 feet but can get up to 12 feet tall if it’s really happy where it’s planted. There are several smaller cultivars. ‘Little Joe’ is supposed to grow 48 inches tall and ‘Baby Joe’ is supposed to reach 30 inches. I grow one of each and they are both overachievers in the height department. Last year ‘Little Joe’ grew over 6 feet and ‘Baby Joe’ hit 4 feet. This year I trimmed them back in June, and that helped keep their height in check.
Joe Pye Weed is very slow to sprout in the spring which is interesting since it usually ends up being the tallest thing in the flowerbeds by late summer. Make sure you mark where you plant Joe Pye Weed so you don’t accidentally dig it up.
The plants thrive in full sun or part-sun and they appreciate regular, deep watering but can survive a drought once established. Joe Pye Weed is hardy to Zone 3.