I planted a quart size planting of Litttle Joe within the past month and the three stems broke off about an inch or so above the crown much to my disappointment. I didn't have any mulch around the crown, I had mulch a couple of inches from the stems. This is my first time with any variety of Joe Pye Weed. I got it to attract the Butterflies. Does anyone know what happened to it? Do I need to dig it up and look at the roots? Do I need to get another one? Or, should I just wait to see if it still comes up? Thanks!
Marilyn
Help!
BTW, we also have wild rabbits & deer that come into our yard
This message was edited May 28, 2006 5:36 PM
This message was edited May 28, 2006 5:40 PM
"Little Joe" Joe Pye Weed
I'm curious to know if your Joe Pye came back out from the root??? We have rabbits and other animals in our yard too and I know that rabbits will eat several plants.
I have wanted some Joe Pye for a long time but have been scared to try any due to our very hot humid weather here. I have read that Joe Pye likes moist soil so I would have to pick just the right spot to plant some. Finding moisture anywhere here in July and August is pretty hard. *g* I might have to plan some type of bog for them along with some other plants.
Lin
Hi Lin!
I haven't dug it up yet to see the roots, but I think I'm going to have to buy another one. The little 'stubs' are now brown.
You might want to use "soil moist" (pretty sure High Country Gardens sells it) for area, in fact I think I'm going to get some. There is a plant called "Texas Mist". I don't know if it is directly related to Joe Pye Weed.
I don't know anything about Joe Pye Weed but it sounds like it is dead to me. If you want it for this season I would get another and ask the people @ the nursery for care tips. They can be most helpful.
Aww I'm sorry. It sounds like it may be dead. I think I may try some seeds of this plant first and see what happens. Lin
I'm so excited!!! I looked at the plant today and got 3 new shoots and a leaf growing from one of the old stems! I took some pics, but I don't know if they took, the new growths are small.
:-))
This message was edited Jun 13, 2006 11:28 PM
I don't know much about the short cultivar but joepye is a hearty perrenial and will resprout if cut off. Some people will prune joepye in june to keep it from getting too tall and to create more blooms.
I do sprinkle cayenne pepper on small first year seedlings to keep the rabbits at bay. The plant can handle one or two prunings to the ground but the rabbits are relentless on smaller plants. If you can get the plants to their second or third year the rabbits seem to leave them alone.
Although joepye prefers moist soil - it is drought tolerant. Many of the natural areas that it grows in are swampy in the winter/spring but very dry in the heat of the summer.
If you grow it in a rain garden or near a downspout drain - it should do fine. (not sure about texas though?)
Dear "joepyeweed",
Your username sounds like you have more than one variety of Joe Pye Weed. Which ones? How many years have you been growing Joe Pye Weed?
Thanks for the tip of cayenne pepper!!! I'll buy some at the store this week! Do I need to sprinkle after each rain? Do you sprinkle it right on the parts of the plant? What about new growth of second (or third or fouth and so on...) year plants? Do you sprinkle it on too?
Sounds like you're knowledgable of Joe Pye Weeds. Thanks so much for responding!!!!
Wild rabbits are cute to look at, but not cute when I find my plants eaten! I'll have to sprinkle some cayenne pepper on my coneflowers, Phlox (tall and short) and all the other plants they like too. Today I found 3 stems chewed off and a dozen leaves on the ground.of some of my coneflowers.
This message was edited Jun 13, 2006 4:56 PM
I have three kinds - eupatorium maculatum, eupatorium fistulosa and eupatorium purpureum.
I have known joepye through my work and hobbies for many years - (water resources engineer - we use native plants for created wetlands for water treatment, erosion control, shoreline plantings etc. etc.)
I have been cultivating jpw in my own personal landscape for about 5 years... One of my favorite combination of native plants is a mix of culversroot and joepyeweed - they look really good together and are frequently seen growing together in nature.
Yes, you do need to sprinkle cayenne pepper after each rain. I buy the very large generic container. The rabbits don't seem to bother mature plants. Or the mature plants are large enough and have spread enough - that I don't really notice that a few shoots are missing.
I sprinkle cayenne pepper on first year seedlings right on the leaves and on the ground around the plant. It helps deter slugs too (at least I think it does...).
Did you know the plant gets its name from a native american medicine man who was famous for being able to treat typhus fever using this plant.
Thanks again! I really appreciate it!
I'm going to do a search on the 3 you mention. I already am thinking to have more varieties (for the butterflies!), but I'll wait till next year (I have MS and can do 'so much' and 'so long' in the garden) or so,
Lazy S'S Farm Nursery (Dave's Garden - Watchdog 30, I've ordered there this yr. too and like them) has Veronicastrum virginicum 'Fascination' - Culver's Root Fascination, I plan to order some next yr. It looks neat too! They offer a couple of other Culver Root and JPW too.
I just found out that it (JPW) is related to the Aster, no wonder it is eaten by those racally rabbits.
I'll have to check and see if the store I go to has a really big container! I have a lot of plants they like.
Thanks!!!
Marilyn
This message was edited Jun 13, 2006 6:03 PM
This message was edited Jun 13, 2006 11:33 PM
Marilyn I'm so glad to hear about your Joe Pye Weed plant. ;) Sounds like it will make it after all. I have always admired this plant and wanted it in my garden for the hummers and butterflies.
I have sowed some seeds so only time will tell if they germinate. If I ever try the plants I will put them in pots so I can control the moisture. I doubt they would do good here in our sweltering heat in the ground. The seeds I sowed are in a pot.
Lin
I've got a little JPW that came back from last year and I'm watching it daily. I'm glad I stopped here to read because I also have my first little cottontail rabbit! I love him and really have enjoyed him but really don't want him to eat my JPW either.
So far he's eaten my Queen Anne's Lace and yarrow and I have plenty of those. (He did eat a little salvia I was watching too tho) I'll run out there tomorrow and check on it.
Someone post some pics of your JPW! I've been waiting...
I lost the battery to my digital camera. But I just ordered another off of ebay. So its going to be awhile before I can post pics. My jpw is not blooming yet but its getting close. It should be blooming by the time I get my camera battery.
Joepyeweed,
I'm getting so 'antsy' to see mine grow and bloom! A garden center I was at this morning, had a 3 gal. (or, was it a 2 gal.? ) plant of 'Little Joe' JPW (instant color! big enough so the rabbbits won't eat it!), but for $14.99, I couldn't afford it! (crying LOL).
Actually, I would have dig the other up, dig a big hole for this plant then, plant it. With my MS, it probably would've been 'too much' for me. Oh well, I'll just have to tell it to hurry up and grow. LOL
I sprinkled the cayenne pepper on my JPW and around it. So far, they haven't eaten it! A customer told me that there is a product called "Hot Pepper Spray" (cayenne pepper) might want to look into it. Don't know if its waterproof or not.
Would love to see your JPW and Culver Root pics when they're in bloom!
Marilyn
This message was edited Jun 16, 2006 6:27 PM
This message was edited Jun 16, 2006 6:28 PM
This message was edited Jun 16, 2006 7:37 PM
joepyeweed......anyone intrested in Joe pye might consider western ironweed.similar and more drought tolerant.
Jackie, that is Ironweed, right? I've got one large Ironweed blooming now and a few others that are smaller.
It is definitely more tolerant of our drought conditions that Joe Pye, but I'm still trying. I have lost a few other JP's because they weren't kept moist enough. Looks like it's going to be another dry year this year too. :(
I grow Ironweed too. I am not sure if its "western" ironweed. I know it a vernonia speices... but I haven't ID'd it its probably altissima but it might be fasciculata... I guess I should look up the difference between those plants and figure out which one I have...
Western Ironweed........Veronica Baldwinnii.....my meadows are filled with it this season, for anyone needing seed
haven't seen any sign of my joe pye weed this year.....second year into a serious drought
Here's a pic I took a few days ago........
It's growing!!!!!
I don't have a closeup yet, but I will soon. Going to take more pics as the season continues.
ironweed in full bloom in the meadows
Marilynbeth, I feel your excitement! It's always thrilling to see something survive. Yay for you!
Jackie, the Ironweed is beautiful. I've got one blooming away right now. It's pretty funny looking tho because it's one really tall stalk about 6ft or so. It grew so fast and I didn't think to cut it back to make it branch out until too late so I just left it. Luckily it's standing in front of some cannas tho and not all alone.
what I notice in the fields is that the ironweed brown out from the bottom up and get to looking raggidy.......this is the first season that I have moved any to my butterfly gardens and haven't seen it yet . I wonder could it be lack of water.
You know, around the DFW area ya"ll have had twice as much rain as we have. I live 3 miles east of the new Winstar Casino across the border.........and no we don't have to be dipped for fleas and ticks anytime we visit friends in Texas ;>)
Jackie
Congratulations Marilyn!! Your little seedling will probably make it now. Maybe there's still hope for me. lol I've been trying to grow this plant for a long time now.
Lin