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Butterfly Attracting Weed
Written By: Deena Bouknight | Issue: August - 2022
Though a humble Plateau denizen, Joe-Pye weed is treasured by ordinary people and Monarchs alike.
Spring might be resplendent with native flower-ing plants, and the summer season burstingwith the bounty of fruits and vegetables, butlate summer features a large, towering plant that isessential for a certain kind of butterfly: the Monarch.A common coffee cup and garden sign adage is“May all my weeds be wildflowers.” Joe-Pyeweed(Eutrochium Raf.)is one that falls into thatcategory. Supposedly named for a Native Americanmedicine man who used the plant to treat various ill-nesses, Joe-Pye weed is a native perennial wildflowerthat attracts butterflies and other pollinators but ismost important because it serves as a larval hostplant primarily for the Monarch Butterfly (Danausplexippus), which needs the weed as part of its annualmigration cycle. In fact, while the plant’s medicinalvalues have not been scientifically proven, its statusas a butterfly magnet is obvious. The plants’ loomingthree-to-seven-foot presence becomes heavy-ladenwith clumps of vanilla-scented purplish blooms thatare regularly aflutter with beautiful – and busy –winged insects.Joe-Pye weed grows abundantly on roadsides and infields throughout the Plateau. And for about a month,beginning in mid to late summer and extending intoearly fall, blooms are plentiful. However, the flower-ing, tall plant has of late become desirable in morenatural, English country-style gardens, especiallyto add height and background to less leggy plants.They are easy to grow from seed or from starterplants, available at many nurseries, and require justconsistent soil moisture and an environment of fullsun to part shade.Naturally growing as a weed, the layers of deaddebris each year keep the soil around the wildflowersfrom drying out. But if Joe-Pye weed is cultivated ina garden, a layer of mulch does the trick.Joe-Pye weeds require no special winter protection,but in gardens their stalks can be cut back to justabove ground level after frost kills the plants or afterthe flowers have faded.To find Joe-Pye weeds while walking and hiking, justlook for colorful activity hovering above and aroundthese lovely plants.
by Deena Bouknight
photo by Susan Renfro
