TALL BONESET
Eupatorium altissimum
SUNFLOWER FAMILY (Asteraceae)
Identification
- Flowering time - August, September, October
- Uncommon in prairies and old fields at NW - Rare in FF upland openings
- Branching, flat-topped clusters of tiny white flowers
- Opposite leaves with 3 prominent veins
- See comments for tips on separation from similar late flowering plants
This native perennial grows up to 6 feet tall. The numerous lance-shaped leaves are opposite on a hairy stem (A,C). The tiny white flowers are clustered in the form of flat, compound flower heads at the ends of the upper branches. Each flower head contains several tiny disk florets with 5 petal-like lobes and prominent protruding styles (B). Seeds have a tuft of attached fluffy white hairs which aid their dispersal by the wind.
Occurs in open woods and prairies, flowering from August through October. It is uncommon in the restored prairies and old fields at Neale Woods. Not recently seen, but possible in the Fontenelle Forest uplands.
Tall Boneset is one of several “look-alikes” that bloom in late summer and fall. It most nearly resembles Late Boneset (Eupatorium serotinum) which is found in very different moist to wet floodplain habitats, often in large colonies. It also has purplish stems, stalked leaves and usually more than 5 disk florets per group. Like Tall Boneset, False Boneset (Brickellia eupatorioides), is also a plant of drier uplands but is a smaller plant with alternate leaves having only 1 prominent vein; Tall Boneset has 3. Common Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) occupies different moist habitats and its leaves are fused at the base totally enveloping the stem. Tall Boneset also resembles one of our most common woodland species, White Snakeroot (Ageratina altissima) but it has much broader, coarsely toothed leaves.
Other common names include Tall Joe-Pye Weed and Tall Thoroughwort.
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