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Drawing copyright Mark Müller
Asteraceae Family - "Joe Pye Weed, Spotted Joe Pye Weed, King-of-the-Meadow, Queen-of-the-Meadow, Thoroughwort"
Greek, from the name of the King of Pontus, Eupator and maculatum from the Latin meaning spotted, referring to the leaves.
Perennial, 2 - 6 feet, stem purple or purple-spotted, purple-brown flowers in flat-topped clusters bloom from July through September. Found in wet meadows from the mountains of North Carolina westward to Nebraska and ranging through British Columbia.
Native Americans made a tea from the entire plant as a diuretic and for treating dropsy, painful urination, gout, kidney infections and rheumatism. Tea made from the root was used to treat fevers, colds, chills, painful womb after childbirth, diarrhea, liver and kidney trouble, and as a wash for rheumatism. The name comes from a real historical personage by the name of Joe Pye, a 19th century Caucasian/Indian medicine drummer who was well known for using the root of this plant to induce sweating and help break fevers, especially typhus.
