Little Joe Pye weed, and the similarly named Baby Joe Pye weed. are dwarf cultivars of Joe Pye weed, so, what make each unique?
Little Joe Pye Weed and Baby Joe Pye Weed: Origin
Both of these plants are are dwarf versions of Joe Pye weed, which is native to North America. Therefore, they have similar growth patterns and thrive in similar habitats.
Little Joe Pye Weed and Baby Joe Pye Weed: Description
Little Joe Pye weed is a dwarf cultivar of the native Joe Pye weed. Sharing most of the same characteristics as its namesake, the cultivar reaches a maximum height of 4 feet, making it an ideal choice for smaller gardens. Tall, dark red stems hold large clusters of dome-shaped blooms which flower from spring to fall. Leaves are lanced, long and dark green, reaching a point at the tip. Flowers range from white and pale pink to deep purple or magenta. Baby Joe Pye weed, also known as Coastal Plain, is native to swampy wetlands and thickets throughout North America. The dwarf cultivar is almost identical in appearance to Little Joe except for longer, darker stalks which hold the flowers upright away from the main plant in a showy fashion. Both plants are excellent for attracting pollinators to the garden, specifically butterflies, which feed off the nectar.
Toxicity
Although there are toxic plants in the Eupatorium genus, such as snakeroot, which may kill livestock that graze on it, but Joe Pye weed is neither poisonous, nor invasive, although it will self-seed readily spreading quickly thought the garden.
Who Was Joe Pye?
Legend has it that the original Joe Pye was an Indian herbalist named Jopi, who used the plant extensively to treat a variety of ailments from typhus to kidney stones. New England folklore tells the tale of how Jopi administered the plant to successfully divert a typhoid epidemic. Alternatively, Joe Pye may have been a Mohican chief called Schauquethqueat who lived in Massachusetts in the 1700s and took the Christian name, Joseph Pye, though there are no records of a Joe Pye residing in New England at that time. The name likely derives from a mispronunciation of the word eupatory, the genus that contains Joe Pye weed. As you can see, there are few differences between Little Joe Pye weed and Baby Joe Pye weed, except the size the plant typically reaches and slightly different stalks, holding flowers upright and away from the plant. Both are coarse, hardy perennial garden plants with beautiful large clusters of flowers and whorled rough green leaves. Both plants provide a burst of color from spring until late autumn, and their bushy green foliage makes them an ideal addition to borders and flower beds. Up Next:
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