HOLLOW JOE PYE, GIANT WHITE BONESET Eutrochium Eupatorium fistulosum

Eutrochium fistulosum (Eupatorium fistulosum), also called hollow Joe-Pye weed, trumpetweed, or thoroughwort, is a perennial North American flowering plant that is native to Canada the United States. It is a herbaceous perennial plant sometimes as much as 350 cm (140 in; 11 ft 6 in) tall. It flowers from mid-summer to the first frosts, makes an attractive backdrop in garden plots, and is very attractive to butterflies, bees, and other nectar-feeding insects. In addition, it is a larval host to the Clymene moth, eupatorium borer moth, ruby tiger moth, and the three-lined flower moth. One plant can produce several flower heads in a branching array. The plants can be grown in a moist location, and also perform well in regular soil if some shade is present.

Type: Hardy perennial

Seeds per pack: 10

Hardiness zones: 4-8

Location: Sun or part sun

Note: Although the Eupatorium nectar is an excellent food-source for butterflies, the plants are seeds are poisonous to people and animals. Keep in a safe place.

Germination: As with many perennial seeds, these seeds require a period of moist cold to help them break dormancy. This is done by giving them a cold 'winter' period (artificial or natural), and then a warming to simulate 'spring', and time to grow! Here's how this can be done:

Obtain a planting container that has holes in the bottom for excess water to drain. Place the seeds just under the surface of your growing medium, and water. Place your container in a cold area (but not freezing, perhaps a refrigerator) for 4-6 weeks. Once the cold period is completed, place the container at room temperature for them to germinate. Be sure to keep the soil moist during this entire germination period. Seedlings will sprout a few weeks, or occasionally several months, after the warming period.