wetland wildflower

Hollow Joe-Pye Weed

Eutrochium fistulosum

Also known as Joe-pye Weed, Trumpetweed, Queen Of The Meadow

Native to much of the USA

Southern Maine to Illinois, south to Florida and eastern Texas

In the garden

A wetland wildflower for full sun and dry to moist soil. Its pink and purple flowers peak in August. Hardy in USDA zones 4–9.

Light

Full sun Partial shade Full shade

Moisture

Dry Moist Wet

Find your zone:

The Hollow Joe-Pye Weed's pink and purple flowers bloom July to September, peaking in August. This late-summer display draws butterflies and bees.

Hollow Joe-Pye Weed blooms pink & purpleFoliage

Butterflies Monarch

also Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Red Admiral, Common Buckeye +21 more
Fiery Skipper, Silver-spotted Skipper, Painted Lady, Pipevine Swallowtail, Gray Hairstreak, Orange Sulphur, Great Spangled Fritillary, Spicebush Swallowtail, Zabulon Skipper, Peck's Skipper, Horace's Duskywing, Dun Skipper, Long-tailed Skipper, Tawny-edged Skipper, Milbert's Tortoiseshell, Little Glassywing, Zebra Longwing, Papilio cresphontes, Clossiana toddi ammiralis, Panoquina ocola, Cyaniris neglecta
Bees Common Eastern Bumble Bee

also Western Honey Bee, Eastern Carpenter Bee, Brown-belted Bumble Bee +10 more
American Bumble Bee, Tricolored Bumble Bee, Pure Green Sweat bee, Lemon Cuckoo Bumble Bee, Yellow-banded Bumble Bee, Carpenter-mimic Leafcutter Bee, Sculptured Resin Bee, Poey's Furrow Bee, Rusty-patched Bumble Bee, Southern Plains Bumble Bee
Moths Snowberry Clearwing

also Yellow-collared Scape Moth, Eight-spotted Forester Moth, Master's Dart +5 more
Celery Looper Moth, Orange Mint Moth, Maple Clearwing Moth, Bold-feathered Grass Moth, Pyrausta acrionalis
Also visited by
- Flower flies: Transverse-banded Flower Fly, Virginia Giant Hover Fly
- Beetles: Spotted Cucumber Beetle, Goldenrod Soldier Beetle
- Wasps: Four-toothed Mason Wasp

Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.

Habitat: WetlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
Native range: Much of the USAUnited States (31): AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WV. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
Native distribution: Southern Maine to Illinois, south to Florida and eastern TexasThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.

Light: Full sunHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
Moisture: Dry to moistThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
Hardiness zones: USDA 4–9 · Canadian 6–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
Soil: Moist to wet soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.
Soil pH: 4.5–7.0The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
Soil quality: MediumHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
Water use: Medium to highHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
Salinity tolerance: NoneHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: LowHow well it copes with chalky, lime-rich soil.

Life cycle: PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
Growth rate: RapidA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
Shape: ErectIts overall silhouette.
Root depth: 16+ in (41+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.

Type: WildflowerWhat kind of plant it is.
Bloom: Jul–SepWhen it flowers.
Flower color: Pink, PurpleThe bloom color, or colors.
Fruit/Seeds: Achene; ripens Aug–NovThe seed or fruit it sets after flowering.
Toxicity: None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.

Cold stratification: Not requiredWhether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
Propagation: Bare root, container, sprigsHow to start new plants.
Seed: ~2 million seeds per poundNotes on the seed and how to sow it.
Seed spread rate: SlowHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
Seedling vigor: LowHow strongly young seedlings establish.
Vegetative spread: SlowWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.