While it is not a great time to plan high noon outdoor picnics, it is picnic time for wildlife. For the 3rd year in a row, I choose Joe Pye Weed as my favorite native herbaceous plant. In the dead of winter, when I reflect back on the summer garden, my thoughts always return to this time, Joe Pye time. To see a photo of Joe Pye weed, click here. A wonderful, exciting group of perennials and shrubs.
Flowers are either blue, white or rosy-mauve.
Full sun to light shade and moist or dry soils are suitable. Meadows would be incomplete without eupatoriums. Mistflower A tall, graceful, native and perennial version of the tight little lavender ageratum so widely sold as an annual. We use it everywhere-mixed with late Rudbeckias, edging the woodland garden, and in sunny, damp ditches. A new favorite last year was in bouquets with the identical but white blooms of Eupatorium 'Chocolate'.