Spotted Joe-Pye Weed is a native perennial wildflower that grows from 2 - 6 feet tall. The central stem is hairy and purple or purple-spotted, as are the flowering stalks. Fragrant purple flowers, in flat-topped clusters of 9 or more florets per head, appear in mid- to late summer (July-September). The florets produce wind-dispersed small dry seed with hair-like bristles. Plants are mostly unbranched, except for flower-bearing stalks near the apex of the plant. The ovate (egg-shaped) leaves have conspicuous veins, grow up to 8 inches long and 2.5 inches across, and usually appear in whorls of 4 or 5. The fibrous root system sometimes produces rhizomes (horizontal stem with shoots above and roots below), which create colonies. Distribution: Spotted Joe-Pye Weed prefers moist conditions and populates a variety of wetland habitats from Nova Scotia south to the mountains of North Carolina and from Nebraska to British Columbia (USDA cold hardiness zones 2-9). It is rarely found on disturbed sites. Establishment Seed propagation Seeds ripen about a month after flowering and should be collected when the heads dry, split and the fluffy seed begins to float away. If collected earlier, dry the seed heads for 1 - 2 weeks in open paper bags. If seeds are sown directly, sow in the fall and sow thickly as germination rates are typically low. For container production, a cold-moist pretreatment at 40 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 weeks to 3 months will increase germination percentages. After pretreatment, sow seeds in a fine germination mix containing milled sphagnum moss. Transplant to potting mix after seeds have germinated. Seeds germinate at 70 - 85 degrees Fahrenheit and in the presence of light. Use a greenhouse with alternating temperatures (day temperatures 70 - 85 degrees Fahrenheit, night temperatures 65 - 68 degrees Fahrenheit). Seeds will last up to 3 years if stored in a cold (40 degrees Fahrenheit) and dry (30% relative humidity) environment.