Bought a big one at a plant sale yesterday but having a hard time finding particulars about this plant. Thanks
Chocolate Joe Pye weed
general search advice: if you don't find it in the plant files, just google it.
'Chocolate' is still considered a relatively "new" cultivar I guess.
Bottomline is it's still a Eupatorium and can be treated as such. It just doesn't get as large as the Gateway. Still likes wet areas and does fine in poor sites. I've had mine for 4 years I think. One I forgot about because it's out in the far end of one bed that doesn't get as much water and competes for sun but I see she's back again this year.
One thing - about the time they bloom, the foliage then starts to revert back to green.
Here's one link with some Equpatorium specs: http://pss.uvm.edu/pss123/wmeupat.html
So kooks like it will be fine near the brook in the shade. Thanks so much. I couldnt find it in the plant files
Its full name is Eupatorium Rugosa Chocolatum! (anyone want seeds?)
One warning - I am constantly pulling it out from all over my garden. I like it a lot so I often leave it places but it really does self seed a lot! Cut off the spent flowers if you want to avoid that.
Victor
victorgardener is sooo right ...I finally gave up and am getting rid of it all. It reseeds chocolate and reseeds green and it is EVERYWHERE!
djm906,
yes, i would like some seeds. I am building a monarch waystation and it won't matter if it is invasive. Ruth
Sure, send me your address and I will send you some. It is a beautiful plant. I have 2 clumps on either side of the house, but I haven't noticed it being invasive. They come back every year and haven't spread. My leaves are still dark when they start blooming and it it quite impressive with all those white flowers on top. Doris
I was just eyeing this plant at the farmer's market here in town, passed it up only because I was way over my plant limit for the day... yeah, it's necessary.
I'd love some seeds too. Anything you'd like or.. are you just being generous?
Also Victor.. I'm a big anti-invasion person.. I think Eupatoriums are considered 'aggressive' but since I know they're native to my area... well, not the chocolate I suppose... anyways my question would be, how hard are they to pull?
Thanks,
Byron.
well behaved here too - another IL location. It hasn't even tried to make big clumps. There's 3 of them.
However, I put in a Gateway eup last year and had the one stalk. Well, that's nice. This year...it's got a mini clump about 10" with eight or nine stalks I think. I'm thinking in a couple of years it will OWN this corner of the bed which isn't a bad thing cause it's tall, tough, good looking and if it increases the Monarch drivebys... Yeeeee Haw!
Do you think this plant would do well in TX heat? I have a small plant that has come back from last year (it might even be it's 2nd year) but it doesn't get very big and hasn't bloomed. I guess it's a dwarf variety. I just bought a large one, that looks like I thought it should, last week. I put it in the back of my bed and hoping it does well.
Ruthm, I'm fixing to order my Monarch Waystation sign. Are you just starting a garden for butterflies? There is a thread somewhere on the butterfly forum about the Waystations.
Hi all, I just bought one of these, and I believe it gets only about 2-3 feet tall- Is that right?
Ones I have seen in other gardens are small. I have mine planted in light shade, they like a lot of water if they are like the species Joe Pye Weed.
Maybe someone can add the plant to the Plantfiles...
Edited to say sorry it's so blurry.
This message was edited Jul 10, 2005 10:56 AM
Well here is my experience. I enjoyed them for about three years before I ever saw a single 'volunteer' - don't ask me why. Maybe weather conditions. We had some droughty years. But ever since, I have found them all over my garden - far from the originals - from full sun to full shade. They are not hard to pull but you will be doing it all the time.
Victor
wonder why they have the word 'weed' in their name? :)
The chocolates are shorter - only about 3'
The Gateway is about 6' where I've got it.
I am not talking from experience, but I would guess that seeds from "Chocolate Joe Pye Weed" would produce green plants. Does anybody have experience with this?
BTW, I saw one at Lowes yesterday. I should have purchased it, but I have a bunch of plants at home in pots including wintersown Joe Pye Weed.
- Brent
I really don't know, but the flowers are white and I believe the usual color for regular Joe Pye flowers is pink. So I would assume the white flower seeds would produce chocolate plants. Of course I could be mistaken...... anyone?
My plant is more the color of a Japanese maple. It has not bloomed so dont know much else.