Hollow joe-pyeweed
StarEutrochium fistulosum
Synonyms: Eupatorium fistulosum f. albidum, Eupatorium purpureum var. angustifolium, Eupatorium fistulosum f. truncatum, Eupatoriadelphus fistulosus, Eupatorium fistulosum
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
The closely related species Eutrochium purpureum (gravel root, queen-of-the-meadow) is the principal medicinal Joe-Pye weed in Indigenous Eastern Woodlands tradition and was used by the Cherokee, Iroquois, Meskwaki, Ojibwa, and others for urinary complaints, kidney and bladder stones, rheumatism, and as a diaphoretic. Species-specific NAEB records for Eutrochium fistulosum are sparse and the two species were not always distinguished in early ethnobotanical literature, so traditional uses are commonly extended to it by proxy.
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Botanical Description
Eutrochium fistulosum (formerly Eupatorium fistulosum), the hollow Joe-Pye weed or trumpetweed, is a tall, robust perennial herb of the Asteraceae native to wet meadows, marsh edges, and moist roadsides across the eastern and central United States and adjacent Canada. Plants typically reach 1.5-3 m tall from a stout, knotty rhizome, with smooth, glaucous, purple-tinged stems that are diagnostically hollow (giving the species its epithet fistulosum). The lanceolate to elliptic leaves are arranged in whorls of four to seven, each leaf 12-25 cm long, finely serrate, and short-petiolate. In late summer and early autumn the stems are crowned by large, domed, terminal corymbs of small mauve-pink to pale purple discoid heads, each head containing 4-7 tubular florets with conspicuously exserted styles that give the inflorescence its soft, plumose appearance. The fruit is a small ribbed achene topped by a tawny pappus of capillary bristles. The plant is highly attractive to butterflies and native bees, and is named for Joe Pye, a Native American herbalist of New England tradition.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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