Look at all the Joe-Pye Weed in bloom.   Botanically, it is Eupatorium fistulosum.  And, its other common name is Queen of the Meadow.

 

You can see it growing next to highways and back roads.  It grows all along the Blue Ridge Parkway, and there is a ton of it on Mocassin Church Rd. heading toward Ivy Log, and all over 19/129 going to Blairsville.

 

You can see in the picture that the flower heads stand about 5-6 feet tall.  And it is one of the wildflowers on the butterfly nectar list.  It is such a beautiful perennial.  

 

I've never seen seeds for it at the Ace Hardware or other stores that sell flower seeds, but I have seen it in my specialty catalogs.  Sow True Seed in Asheville offers Joe-Pye Weed for $2.95 for a packet of 200 seeds.  And we know that it grows well here.  In years past, we've seen it down by the creek;  we even had one in the hedgerow next to our house. 

 

Look for Joe-Pye Weed in your travels, or plant some in your garden for the butterflies.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!