# late boneset (*Eupatorium serotinum*) Late boneset is a tall plant with pretty white flowers that bloom in late summer. It loves to grow in wet places and is great for attracting butterflies and bees! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 10 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![late boneset](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Eupatorium_serotinum_closeup.jpg&width=800) Photo: Jim Kingdon Kingdon, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eupatorium_serotinum_closeup.jpg) ## Appearance The late boneset has sturdy, upright stems and broadly lance-shaped leaves. Its most distinctive feature is the flat-topped clusters of numerous small, fuzzy white flowers that create dense, fluffy clouds in late summer. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Asterales - **Family:** Asteraceae - **Genus:** Eupatorium ## Interesting facts - Its fluffy white flower clusters look like miniature clouds in the late summer air. - Late boneset is a superhero for insects, feeding countless butterflies and bees! - Some call it "feverwort", as people once believed it cured fevers. - This plant was once a famous folk remedy, thought to help mend broken bones! ## Special abilities - **Pollinator Beacon:** Late boneset's numerous white flowers create a giant landing pad for many insects, attracting vital pollinators. - **Colony Builder:** This plant spreads easily through rhizomes, forming thick patches that can outcompete other plants for space. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 100-200 cm - **Spread:** 50-100 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.2-0.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late summer to fall - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Moderate - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Drinks nectar from its many tiny flowers. - **Pollinates:** [Monarch butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — Feeds on its nectar during its southern migration. - **Pollinates:** [Common eastern bumble bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) — Collects nectar and pollen from its fuzzy blooms. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look at plants but don't touch them without asking an adult first. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify late boneset? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is late boneset? 100-200 cm ### How wide does late boneset spread? 50-100 cm ### How big are the flowers on late boneset? 0.2-0.5 cm ### When does late boneset bloom? Late summer to fall ### Is late boneset edible? No ### Is late boneset toxic? Moderate ### What is late boneset's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Brookside Reservation](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brookside-reservation) — Ohio, US · Park - [Circleville Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/circleville-historic-district) — Ohio, US · Historic District - [Burke Station Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/burke-station-park) — Virginia, US · Park - [Garfield Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/garfield-park) — Illinois, US · Botanical Garden - [Greene–Sullivan State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/greene-sullivan-state-forest) — Indiana, US · Forest - [Greenup Commercial Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/greenup-commercial-historic-district) — Illinois, US · Historic District [View all places to see late boneset](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/late-boneset) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Late Boneset: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/late-boneset)