Sweet Joe-Pye Weed

Classification
Kingdom - Plantae
Division - Magnoliophyta
Class - Magnoliopsida
Order - Asterales
Family - Asteraceae (aster family)
Genus species - Eupatorium purpureum L.

Stems
May be over 2 m tall
Stem is herbaceous, solid to subhollow, glabrous
Stem color is green with purple at nodes only

Leaves
Leaves are in whorls of 4 or 5
Petioles up to 2 cm long, green, glabrous
Blades to 30 cm long, 9 cm wide, elliptic-lanceolate,
Coarse teeth along leaf edges

This Joe-pye weed is also known as purple boneset because the stems are purple at the joints.
A different plant, called spotted Joe-pye weed or E. maculatum, has purple spots and pink flowers.

Sources
http://www.missouriplants.com/Blueopp/Eupatorium_purpureum_page.html

 



Sweet joe-pye weed


Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora
of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 3: 357.