# spotted Joe-Pye weed (*Eutrochium maculatum*) Spotted Joe-Pye weed is a tall, beautiful flower that can grow up to 7 feet high! It has big, fluffy pink-purple blooms that attract butterflies and bees, making it a favorite in gardens. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![spotted Joe-Pye weed](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Flower_Buds.JPG&width=800) Photo: Cody Hough, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flower_Buds.JPG) ## Appearance The spotted Joe-Pye weed has sturdy green stems often marked with purple spots, giving it its distinctive name. It produces large, flat-topped clusters of fuzzy, pinkish-purple flowers that make it stand out from late summer through fall. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Asterales - **Family:** Asteraceae - **Genus:** Eutrochium ## Interesting facts - Butterflies love its nectar so much, sometimes the flowers look like they're covered in wings! - Its scientific name, Eutrochium, means "well-nourished" or "robust," describing its strong growth! - Native Americans once used this plant to help with fevers and other ailments! - Some varieties of this plant can grow taller than a basketball hoop! ## Special abilities - **Wetland Warrior:** Spotted Joe-Pye weed can thrive in soggy soils that other plants can't tolerate, helping it find new places to grow. - **Pollinator Magnet:** Spotted Joe-Pye weed has nectar-rich flowers that attract many bees and butterflies, ensuring its seeds are made. - **Towering Growth:** Spotted Joe-Pye weed can grow over 8 feet tall, helping it reach sunlight above smaller plants in its habitat. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 100-250 cm - **Spread:** 60-120 cm - **Flower Size:** 10-25 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late summer to fall - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** [Monarch butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — sips nectar, spreading pollen between plants. - **Pollinates:** [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) — gathers pollen and nectar from its blooms. - **Eats:** [American Goldfinch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-goldfinch) (*Spinus tristis*) — feasts on its mature seeds in fall. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — browses its leaves, though it's not a favorite. ## Traits - [Spotted](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spotted): Marked with spots or patches of a different color. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form. - [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. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [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 but don't touch plants without asking an adult first. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify spotted Joe-Pye weed? 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 spotted Joe-Pye weed? 100-250 cm ### How wide does spotted Joe-Pye weed spread? 60-120 cm ### How big are the flowers on spotted Joe-Pye weed? 10-25 cm ### When does spotted Joe-Pye weed bloom? Late summer to fall ### Is spotted Joe-Pye weed edible? Yes ### Is spotted Joe-Pye weed toxic? None ### What is spotted Joe-Pye weed's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Bayley Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bayley-historic-district) — New Hampshire, US · Historic District ## 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: [spotted Joe-Pye weed: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-joe-pye-weed)