Chocolate Joe Pye Weed

Rising to as tall as 3 or even 4 ft., Joe Pye Weed blooms with big hydrangea-like lavender blooms on the top of every stem in late summer and fall.

You see Joe Pye Weed over most of the east in roadside ditches, since it seeks sunny wet spots. It usually blooms with the goldenrods. There are now several hybrids offered for perennial gardens, but most wild gardeners think the wild version is best.