Joe Pye Weed and Friend

One of my favorite definitions of the term "weed" is a plant that we haven't found a use for. You'd better believe that if someone discovered that crab grass was a cure for whatever ails ya, that noxious garden weed (I do have my standards) would become the darling of Big Pharma.

So I object, strenuously object, to the word weed being attached to the common name of Eupatorium purpureum, Joe Pye weed.

What more could you ask of a riverside staple that's got a not-too-sweet fragrance, attracts bees and butterflies like you wouldn't believe, has a wonderful color sense (deep red/purple stems, bright green leaves, soft pink flowers) and can stand up to the high winds that can rip down the river canyon.

I have long wanted to coax this beauty into spending time in my garden. It likes moist soil though I understand it will tolerate dryer conditions. So I've got my eye on a clump near our swimming rocks that I may try to dig up when the flowers go by. And I'll watch for the tiny, tiny seeds that appear at the base of the flower stalk a little later this summer.

Very cool plant, another one we imported from Europe that escaped from the garden a long time ago.