# tall boneset (*Eupatorium altissimum*)

Tall boneset is a tall, leafy plant that grows in wet areas. It has clusters of small white flowers that attract butterflies and bees, making it a great friend to nature!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Wetlands

![tall boneset](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Eupatorium_altissimum_%283293238908%29.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Frank Mayfield from Chicago area, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eupatorium_altissimum_%283293238908%29.jpg)

## Appearance

The tall boneset is a very tall, slender plant with rigid, usually hairy stems. It has narrow, lance-shaped leaves arranged oppositely, and boasts numerous small, fuzzy white flowers grouped into dense, flat-topped clusters at the top.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Asterales
- **Family:** Asteraceae
- **Genus:** Eupatorium

## Interesting facts

- Its fluffy seeds have tiny parachutes to fly far on the wind.
- Its name 'boneset' comes from old stories of using it to treat fevers.
- This tough plant can grow incredibly tall and fast, up to 6 feet in a summer!
- Tiny white flowers appear so late in the year, providing vital food for insects.

## Special abilities

- **Drought Buster:** Tall boneset has deep roots that help it find water in dry soil, letting it thrive where other plants might wilt.
- **Late Nectar Bar:** Its flowers bloom late in the year, providing a crucial food source for pollinators when other flowers are scarce.
- **Soil Anchor:** This plant has a strong root system that helps hold soil in place, preventing erosion in its habitat.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 100-200 cm
- **Spread:** 45-90 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.3-0.7 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late summer to fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** [Monarch butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — visits flowers for nectar
- **Pollinates:** Common eastern bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — important late-season pollinator
- **Eaten by:** Cabbage looper (*Trichoplusia ni*) — larvae feed on leaves

## 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.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [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.
- [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch plants unless a grown-up says it's okay.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify tall 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 tall boneset?

100-200 cm

### How wide does tall boneset spread?

45-90 cm

### How big are the flowers on tall boneset?

0.3-0.7 cm

### When does tall boneset bloom?

Late summer to fall

### Is tall boneset edible?

No

### Is tall boneset toxic?

Mild

### What is tall boneset's lifecycle?

Perennial

## 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*)

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Source: [Tall Boneset: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tall-boneset)