Joe Pye in the Sky

Text and photos by Caitlin Puffenberger, PR & Marketing Intern, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

It’s hard to miss the stands of Joe Pye weed while passing through West Island Garden. These towering pink-purple plants cover the banks on both sides of the pond, some of them more than 6 feet high.

Joe Pye weed; Eupatorium dubium, ‘Little Joe,’ planted with bright red cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis. See the bright spot of blue? That’s Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica.)

But if you really want to be impressed, stop for a minute. Look closely at a bloom. You’ll see the green leaves are complemented by a dark pink stem, and the heads of the flowers are many up of tiny, pointed buds, just right for bees.

Bee

And if you hold still, you might even spot a butterfly.  So pause under a tree, take a seat on a bench — just stop a moment. It may be a weed, but Joe Pye has quite a lot of beauty in store if you’re willing to look for it.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus), left, and a Viceroy (Limenitis archippus) , right.