JoJo Joe Pye Weed

JoJo Joe Pye Weed

JoJo Joe Pye Weed is a compact selection of hollow Joe Pye weed, Eutrochium fistulosum, a wildflower native to wet meadows across the eastern United States, including Maryland. The species often tops 6 feet, but JoJo stays at 3–4 feet tall and about as wide. Upright, dark maroon stems carry whorls of lance-shaped, toothed green leaves, forming a sturdy clump that keeps its shape through summer.

From midsummer into late summer, each stem ends in a large, domed cluster of double, vibrant pink flowers with a fluffy texture. The flowers are sterile, so they hold their color for several weeks and the plant does not seed around the garden. Because they produce little or no pollen, they offer less to bees and butterflies than the species, although the leaves still feed the caterpillars of several native moths. The stems also make good cut flowers.

JoJo grows best in full sun to part sun, where it flowers most heavily; too much shade reduces bloom. It prefers rich, consistently moist to wet soil and handles clay, loam and sandy soil, and it tolerates periods of standing water. It does not tolerate drought, and leaves may scorch if the soil dries out. Deer may nibble young shoots in late spring, but the species is moderately resistant to deer. Regular moisture is the key to its care.

Care Instructions:

Planting: Plant in spring or early fall in a sunny, low or damp spot, such as a rain garden or the edge of a pond.
Soil: Grows in clay, loam or sand as long as the soil stays moist; adding compost helps sandy soil hold water.
Watering: Keep the soil evenly moist, especially in the first season and through summer heat, and never let it dry out completely.
Fertilizing: Rich, moist soil usually supplies enough nutrients; a layer of compost in spring is enough in poor soil.
Pruning: Leave the stems standing through winter, then cut them to the ground in early spring before new shoots emerge.
Spacing: Space plants approximately 2–3 feet apart; the clumps will grow together into a solid stand of foliage and flowers.
Maintenance: Mulch to hold soil moisture, and divide the clump in spring or fall every few years if it becomes crowded.

Gardeners choose JoJo for the look of Joe Pye weed in a size that fits an ordinary bed. Its maroon stems and long-lasting pink domes bring height and color to the middle of a border, and it never spreads by seed. It performs best in sunny, moist sites such as rain gardens, pond edges and low areas that stay wet, where it pairs well with blazing star, obedient plant, sedges and soft rush.

Landscape Solutions:

• Tolerance of wet soil and standing water makes it a good fit for rain gardens, swales and low spots where many perennials fail.
• A height of 3–4 feet brings the look of native Joe Pye weed to smaller beds that cannot hold a 6-foot species plant.
• Sterile flowers set no seed, so it stays where it is planted instead of spreading through the garden.
• Adaptability to heavy clay soil makes it useful in new-construction yards with poor, compacted ground.
• Long-lasting pink flower clusters on sturdy stems provide summer cut flowers for indoor arrangements.