Eutrochium maculatum, the spotted Joe Pye weed, is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is widespread through much of the United States and Canada.Eutrochium maculatum, Natural Resources Canada It is the only species of the genus Eutrochium found west of the Great Plains.
This herbaceous perennial sometimes grows as high as . Stems are sometimes completely purple, sometimes green with purple spots. One plant can produce numerous rose-purple flower heads in late summer, each head with 8–22 disc flowers but no ray flowers. The specific name maculatum, meaning spotted, refers to the purple spots on the stem.Dickinson, T.; Metsger, D.; Bull, J.; & Dickinson, R. (2004) ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario. Toronto:Royal Ontario Museum, p. 164.
Spotted Joe Pye weed thrives in marshes, rich fens and swamps. It also does well in man-made moist expanses such as ditches, seepage areas and wet fields. Above all else the plant flourishes in the non-shaded environments that are also abundant in wetlands.
It is a larval host to the Clymene moth, the eupatorium borer moth, the ruby tiger moth, and the three-lined flower moth.The Xerces Society (2016), Gardening for Butterflies: How You Can Attract and Protect Beautiful, Beneficial Insects, Timber Press. The plant also attracts butterflies and honeybees.
Varieties The following varieties are known: Eutrochium maculatum var. bruneri (A. Gray) E. E. Lamont – western Canada (British Columbia to Saskatchewan), western US (Minnesota west to Idaho, south to Arizona + New Mexico) Eutrochium maculatum var. foliosum (Fernald) E. E. Lamont – eastern Canada (Newfoundland to Ontario), northern US (Maine to Minnesota) Eutrochium maculatum var. maculatum – eastern Canada (Newfoundland to Ontario), eastern US (Maine to Minnesota, south to northern Georgia)
Cultivars The following cultivars are recipients of the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit (listed under the synonym Eupatorium maculatum): (Atropurpureum Group) 'Orchard Dene' (Atropurpureum Group) 'Purple Bush' (Atropurpureum Group) 'Riesenschirm'
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