Hollow Joe-pye-weed

Eutrochium fistulosum

Found in moist forests, marshes, fields, ditches. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

Keystone

Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height: 4–8 feet
Spread: 2–4 feet
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Usually moist

Space about 3 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 11 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

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Eutrochium fistulosum — bloom photograph — (c) Connor Sites-Bowen, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: July to October
Fruiting season: Fall

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Recorded in 53 Alabama counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 3

Regional / representative. Shown: Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Georgia; representative pond ecosystem, a neighboring state.Georgia pond and emergent wetland, Robert 'Bob' Hynes, 1997. Public domain. Source record.

Moist forests

Forests on moist but not wet ground, such as rich slopes and ravines.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Alabama. Shared habitat, not food. 136 animals.

Canvasback
Aythya valisineria
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Carolina Chickadee
Poecile carolinensis
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Common Grackle
Quiscalus quiscula
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Eastern Towhee
Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Eastern Wood-pewee
Contopus virens
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Great Crested Flycatcher
Myiarchus crinitus
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Hermit Thrush
Catharus guttatus
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Hooded Warbler
Wilsonia citrina
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Indigo Bunting
Passerina cyanea
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Least Flycatcher
Empidonax minimus
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Lincoln's Sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Orange-crowned Warbler
Vermivora celata
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Orchard Oriole
Icterus spurius
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Pileated Woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Pine Siskin
Carduelis pinus
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Red-shouldered Hawk
Buteo lineatus
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Ring-necked Duck
Aythya collaris
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Archilochus colubris
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Rusty Blackbird
Euphagus carolinus
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Snowy Egret
Egretta thula
Birds. 3 shared habitats
White-eyed Vireo
Vireo griseus
Birds. 3 shared habitats
White-winged Dove
Zenaida asiatica
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Wild Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
Birds. 3 shared habitats

All wildlife of Alabama

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

36CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Eupatorium

Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
Carmenta bassiformisEupatorium Borer Moth, Ironweed Clearwing Moth
Carmenta pyralidiformisBoneset Borer Moth
Chlorochlamys chloroleucariaBlackberry Looper Moth
Chrysodeixis includensSoybean Looper Moth
Cisseps fulvicollisYellow-Collared Scape Moth
Condica vecorsDusky Groundling
Dichomeris setosellaHairy Dichomeris
Digrammia continuataCurve-Lined Angle
Dysodia oculatanaEyed Thyris

Show all 36

Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
Eugnosta erigeronanaFleabane Cochylid
Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
Feltia subgothicaSubgothic Dart
Feltia tricosaConfused Dart, Tricose Dart
Haploa clymeneClymene Moth
Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
Oenobotys vinotinctalisWine-Tinted Oenobotys Moth
Oidaematophorus eupatoriiEupatorium Plume Moth
Orthodes majusculaRustic Quaker, Rustic Groundcat
Ostrinia obumbratalisSmartweed Borer
Papaipema cataphractaBurdock Border, Potato-Stalk Borer
Papaipema harrisiiHeracleum Stem Borer Moth, Cow Parsnip Borer
Patania silicalisHerbivorous Patania, Herbivorous Pleuroptya
Perigea xanthioidesRed Groundling
Platynota flavedanaBlack-Shaded Platynota
Platynota rostranaOmnivorous Platynota
Pleuroprucha insulsariaCommon Tan Wave
Schinia trifasciaThree-Lined Flower Moth
Spoladea recurvalisHawaiian Beet Webworm
Synchlora aerataWavy-Lined Emerald, Camouflaged Looper
Synchlora frondariaSouthern Emerald
Tornos scolopacinariaDimorphic Gray
Dichomeris aglaia
Hellinsia habecki
Niasoma metallicana

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

34BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Eupatorium

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

4Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Eutrochium

Dieunomia heteropoda
Megachile xylocopoides
Melissodes denticulatus
Melissodes druriellus

Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Eupatorium

Ortalis vetulaPlain Chachalaca

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Asteraceae
Hardiness: Zones 4a–8b
Soil pH: Neutral
Flower color: Pink
Growth rate: Rapid
Growth habit: Spreads by rhizomes
Foliage color: Dark green
Fruit begins: Fall
Fruit ends: Fall

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “July to October” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Pink” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Foliage color · “Dark green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “Fall” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Species profile fruit display season; not a local ripening date
Fruit ends · “Fall” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox · Species profile fruit display season; not a local ripening date
Growth habit · “Spreads by rhizomes” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 4a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differs)
Height · “4–8 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Soil · “Moist; Occasionally wet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Soil pH · “Neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
Spread · “2–4 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Common Joe Pye Weed; Eupatorium fistulosum; Hollow Joe pye weed; Hollow Stem Joe Pye Weed; thoroughwort

Conservation status

Alabama rank	SNR
Global rank	G5
AL status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Growing cautions

Spreads by rhizomes. USDA PLANTS lists its growth form as rhizomatous. USDA PLANTS

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Hollow Joe-pye-weed

At a glance

Natural habitats

Also found with this plant

Who uses this plant?

Plant details

Conservation status

Will it fit your yard?

Growing cautions

Sources

More Eutrochium