Eutrochium fistulosum

Like clouds tinged pink in the evening light, the airy, dome-shaped flower clusters of hollow Joe Pye rise above the wet meadow. The plant is a beacon for butterflies and makes an outstanding centerpiece or back border for a butterfly garden. Despite its imposing size, hollow Joe Pye is not an aggressive plant, spreading minimally by rhizome to form a slowly-expanding colony.

Native to NE Ohio meadows, wet meadows, and forest edges, hollow Joe Pye grows well in conditions of full sun to partial shade and wet to moderate soil moisture. This plant is an especially good choice for wet places and can even tolerate brief periods of standing water. Blooming primarily during the month of August, hollow Joe Pye is a great option for late summer pink color. To add to the August show, plant with common boneset, grass-leaved goldenrod, and tall ironweed.

Hollow Joe Pye’s wide-diameter hollow stems make perfect nesting sites for larger stem-nesting bees such as leafcutter bees. To encourage bee nesting, cut the prior year’s standing dead stems to approximately 1-2’ tall in March.

References: 1,2,3,4,5,6.

Photo 1 by Ashley Keesling. Photos 2 and 3 by Alyssa Zearley. Photo 4 by Julie Slater.