Monarch Butterfly Garden- Bring Home the Butterflies

Butterfly Garden Ideas and Gardening Tips to Attract Monarchs, Swallowtails, Hummingbirds, and other Precious Pollinators

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Spotted Joe Pye Weed- ‘Gateway’ to Butterflies

Late Season Nectar Flower for Pollinators

Eutrochium maculatum: Spotted Joe pye weed, Spotted trumpetweed

Spotted Joe Pye Weed is a late season nectar source that attracts monarchs, swallowtails, and a bounty of other butterflies and 'smallinators' during the sweet days of summer. Learn how to grow 'Joe' in your garden.

Plant Specs:

  • Perennial: USDA hardiness zones 3-8 (lows -31 °C or -24 °F)
  • Native region for spotted joe pye weed
  • Full sun to part shade
  • Average water needs; do not over water
  • Height 2 to 10 feet
  • ‘Gateway’ cultivar height: 4 to 6 feet (ours eclipsed 8 ft in Minnesota)
  • Spacing: 4 to 6 ft
  • Flowers: shades of pink
  • Blooms mid to late summer
Spotted Joe Pye Weed is a late season nectar source that attracts monarchs, swallowtails, and a bounty of other butterflies and 'smallinators', like this skipper, during the sweet days of summer. Learn how to grow 'Joe' in your garden...

Plant Propagation:

  • Sow seeds directly in fall
  • Start seeds indoors before final frost
  • Sow seeds directly after final frost
  • Divide rootball in autumn or spring
  • Winter sowing
Joe Pye Weed starts easily from seed and can also be easily transplanted. Plant in full sun for best butterfly results.
Starting from the Ground Up

Pros:

  • Covered with small pollinators and butterflies every summer
  • Towering plant allows easy viewing of butterflies
  • Monarch migration plant for northern regions
  • easy care plant in consistently moist soils
  • No serious pest issues
Red Admirals are frequent visitors to our northern butterfly garden. They like many of the same nectar flowers as monarchs, including Joe Pye Weed. See if this amazing late bloomer will grow in your region...

Cons:

  • Past its prime during the monarch migration
  • Small pollinators sometimes take over blooms from the butterflies- but little ‘flies’ gotta eat too!
  • Prolific seeder in wet conditions
  • Some have reported issues with powdery mildew

Spotted Joe Pye Growing Tips:

A full grown Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum) towers over the butterfly garden.
Our ‘Gateway’ Towered to 8 Feet
  • Plant in area with moist soil or leaves tend to wilt or scorch
  • Eutrochium can be planted/divided in spring or fall
  • Even though it’s large, transplants pretty easily
  • Attract more pollinators by growing in full sun
  • Cut- once the flowers turn brown, cut them off and discard to avoid heavy seeding
Joe Pye Weed attracts an Incredible Assortment of Beneficial Pollinators to the Garden...a top Native Nectar Source for Bees and Butterflies.
A Bee’s Delight

Pollinator Plus:

Red Spotted Purples (Limenitis arthemis) are one of many butterfly visitors that frequently stop by Joe Pye Weed for a sweet nectar meal.
A Red Spotted Purple On Pink

Besides monarchs, spotted joe pye weed is popular with bumble bees, red admirals, red spotted purples, skippers, tiger swallowtails, variegated fritillaries, and many other small pollinators!

Please comment below if you know of other pollinator that frequently visit Spotted Joe Pye!

Resources:

  1. Find Joe Pye Weed Plants and Seeds on Joyful Butterfly