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"Sweet Joe Pye Weed, Boneset, Gravel-root, Hempweed, Jopi Root, Jopi Weed, Kidney Root, King-of-the-Meadow, Queen-of-the-Meadow, Marsh Milkweed, Motherwort, Quillwort, Skunk Weed, Stink Weed, Trumpet Weed, Quillwort and others"
Asteraceae Family - Greek, from the name of the King of Pontus, Eupator and the Latin purpureum for "purple".
Found throughout the Tallgrass Region at the edge of wet places where woodlands open into thickets and marshes. Blooms from July through September on erect stems to ten feet tall. Occasionally, the green stem is mottled with purple that shades to a deep purple at the leaf joints. When crushed or dried, the stem and leaves give off a vanilla-like odor. Flowers are tiny and grow in dome-like clusters up 8 inches across. Flowers are creamy white to pale pink or pale purple. Short petals and long stamens give them a frilly appearance.
The astute reader will note that both E. maculatum and E. purpureum are called Joe Pye Weed. The main difference is in the flower heads with E. purpureum being more dome-shaped.
This plant is one of the great stories in Native American medicine. It is named after the east coast Native American, Joe Pye, a member of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, who used the plant to cure fevers. It is still used in parts of Appalachia to treat urinary disorders. Some mothers bathed their fretful childdren in a tea made from Joe Pye Weed to calm them down and bring on a restful sleep. Meskwaki men would nibble the leaves of this plant to ensure success while wooing chosen tribal maidens. We cannot report on the success of this particular usage.
