Eupatorium perfoliatum - COMMON BONESET

Late flowering native perennial and valuable pollinator plant! Clusters of white flowers and hairy leaves that surround the base of the stem. Blooms late and is a good size for borders, native plant gardens, wildflower gardens, cottage gardens, woodland gardens or banks of ponds, rain and water gardens, erosion control or medicinal gardens. In good conditions it will form some vegetative colonies, so it may not work well in a tidy, conventional flower bed!

Good companions can be Asclepias incarnata, Aster puniceum, Aster novae-angliae, Eupatorium, Helenium autumnale, Hibiscus moscheutos, Iris (versicolor, virginica, lousiana), Lobelia, Mimulus, Rudbeckia laciniata, Solidago rugosa, Vernonia, Verbesina alternifolia, grasses - wetland Carex, Panicum, etc.

This medicinal plant was used by Native Americans and the first settlers to cure stiffness and bone pain or to break fever (common names also include thoroughwort, sweating plant, and wild Isaac).

Blooming Time: July - September
Size: 4-5’ high x 3-4‘ wide
USDA Zones: 3 to 8
Culture: sun, half shade, light shade, average soil, loamy clay, clay, sandy soil
Moisture Needs: medium, medium-moist, moist
Origin: Southeast USA, grows naturally in wet or moist soils along rivers, flood plains, openings in wet forests, etc.
Deer/Rabbit Resistant: yes/yes, bitter to herbivores
Attracts Butterflies or Pollinators: an excellent pollinator plant, attracts many kinds of insects, including bees, flies, wasps, butterflies, and beetles. Caterpillars of several moth species feed on various parts of Boneset, including the Clymene Moth, Lined Ruby Tiger Moth), Burdock Borer Moth, Three-Lined Flower Moth), Blackberry Looper Moth, and Geometrid Moth.
Attracts Hummingbirds: no, but swamp sparrows may feed on the seeds
Pot Size: 3.5" x 4" perennial pot (1.22 pt/580 ml)