Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)
Eupatorium perfoliatum, known as Common Boneset or just Boneset, is a North American perennial plant in the aster family. It is a common native to the Eastern United States and Canada, widespread from Nova Scotia to Florida, west as far as Texas, Nebraska, the Dakotas, and Manitoba. It is also called Agueweed, Feverwort, or Sweating-Plant. It was introduced to American colonists by natives who used the plant for breaking fevers by means of heavy sweating. It is nearly always found in low, wet areas. Purchasing an ounce of Boneset seed can result in hundreds of plants.
Boneset grows easily from seed. It fits in well in a rain garden setting. A butterfly garden or pollinator garden should definitely have Eupatorium plants. There about ten species of Eupatorium plants that we grow in our NYS wildflower farm. “Joe Pye” is the other Eupatorium plant, though modern taxonomists refer to it these days as “Eutrochium.”
Would you like to have our landscaping team come and develop some butterfly gardens or pollinator gardens with Eupatorium plants on your property? We’d love to. If you fill out the customer intake form, we’ll be in touch soon.
