Eupatorium perfoliatum (Boneset)

Description

Butterflies and other pollinating insects love the flowers on this 4′-6′ tall native  colony-forming perennial. Birds feed on the seeds. The dried stems and leaves are interesting through the winter. Boneset is a great “deer baffle”. Deer do not eat boneset. I plant it around taller “tasty” perennials to keep the deer from eating them.  It was used medicinally to break fevers, especially breakbone fever or dengue. Plant in full sun or part shade. It thrives in average to wet soils. It thrives on the heavy clay and high calcium soils around many new homes. Cut lankier stems to the ground in through midsummer to promote shorter colonies and heavier blooming. Dig manure or compost around the plants every few years, it likes being “messed with”.  It is good for the moon garden as the white flowers show up great in low light. We propagated our plants from native populations in Beaufort County, SC. It is very rare locally.