Friday, September 19, 2008

Eupatorium Blue




Eupatorium ceolestinum is in the family Asteraceae (the Asters). I pulled this plant from my Grandmother's house before it sold. She calls it Hardy Ageratum. It looks like the annual Ageratum, but this Eupatorium is both perennial and native. One thing I never noticed about Grandma's Hardy Ageratum was it spreading. Mine spreads, not terribly so, but noticeably. It continues to send out new under-soil-surface runners, but is easy to pull.

While walking in Prospect Park this morning, looking at all the white-flowered Snakeroot, Ageratina Altissima, I thought of my dear garden variety Eupatorium. I thought, what a wonderful plant blooming so blue at this time of year and filling up its space so well that I can divide it and give it to others and its native to North America and so on. Snakeroot used to be called, botanically speaking, Eupatorium rugosum, and so now it lives a double life until those who care about such things can figure it out.


Snakeroot in Prospect Park


My Eupatorium


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