Sweet Joe Pye / Eutrochium purpureum
This woodland Joe Pye is an amazingly versatile plant. It can take full sun or shade, wet or dry soil. It can grow up to 7 feet tall, so if you have a shady spot that could use a tall plant, this plant is what you need. It is a real hit with butterflies and bumblebees and Monarch butterflies in particular seem to be drawn to them. Gauzy from a distance when in bloom, with whorled leaves arranged around the stems, Sweet Joe Pye is about as elegant and beautiful as plants can be.
Seed Planting/Germination Key
Storage: Store in a cool, dry, dark place prior to planting.
Rule of thumb for depth of planting: The maximum depth should generally be half the width of the seed, but many wildflower seeds will germinate well if sown on the surface.
Easy: Generally germinates within 5 to 30 days with no need for cold pretreatment. Keep potting mix or soil consistently moist during the germination period.
Cold(30): Germination rates are higher if cold pretreatment applied either by placing the seed within moist paper towel or sand within a refrigerator for 30 days or outside in late winter.
Cold(60): Germination rates are higher if cold pretreatment applied either by placing the seed within moist paper towel or sand within a refrigerator for 60 days or outside in mid-winter.
Cold(90); Outdoors: Germination rates are higher if cold pretreatment applied either by placing the seed within moist paper towel or sand within a refrigerator for 90 days or outside in late fall or early winter. The best route is to plant these outdoors in either a pot or directly on the soil.
Approximate Seeds Per Packet: 100
Germination: Cold(30)
Lifecycle: Perennial
Sunlight: Part, Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist, Medium
Height: 7
Bloom Period: July-August
Bloom Color: Pink
USDA Zones: 3-8
Attracts: Bees, Butterflies
Larval Host For: Three-Lined Flower Moth, Ruby Tiger Moth