Native Seed: Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Description
Read more about our native seed collaboration with Acadia University here.
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum) is a perennial flowering plant native to the Wabanaki region, which spans the Maritime provinces and beyond. A member of the Asteraceae family, it is a tall, sturdy, and adaptable perennial. From late summer through fall it produces rosy pink/purple blooms in showy clusters that attract butterflies, skippers, moths and native bees. Its height (100-200 cm/3.5-6 feet) makes it a great addition to borders, meadows or along fence lines. Deer and rabbit resistant. Approximately 50 seeds per packet.
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed seeds require at least 30 days of moist, cold stratification to simulate winter conditions before they will germinate. To stratify your seeds, mix them with damp sand or vermiculite and place them in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge for 30 days. Afterward, sprinkle seeds on your growing medium to start indoors or sow directly in the garden in spring. Sow lightly on the soil surface, as seeds are small and require light to germinate. Alternatively, you may sow your seeds outdoors in late fall for natural stratification.
In its natural habitat, Spotted Joe-Pye Weed can be found in open swamps, marshes, meadows, and floodplains. It prefers moist soil but is tolerant of various conditions. Plant in full sun to part shade.
These seeds have been hand-collected from the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens and carefully cleaned by Acadia University student volunteers. Growing native seeds supports biodiversity in the Wabanaki region, which spans the Maritime provinces, New York, and the northern New England states.
$1 from every packet sold supports student research at Acadia University.