SCIENTIFIC NAME: Eutrochium fortunei 'Pink Frost' (formerly Eupatorium)

COMMON NAME: Pink Frost Joe Pye Weed

GARDEN SIZE: 3 to 4 feet tall x 2 to 3 feet wide

GROWTH RATE: Fast

USDA ZONE: 4 to 8

EXPOSURE: Full sun to part shade

WATER & SOIL: Medium to wet; tolerates clay soil and wet conditions. Drought tolerant once established.

HABIT (FORM): Upright, bushy mound

FOLIAGE: Deciduous; green to gray-green leaves edged with creamy white to yellow

FLOWERS: Mauve-purple buds open to pink flowers in mid-summer to early fall; large 4–5" diameter single flower clusters

PLANT ORIGIN: Cultivar of a species found in Asia.

WILDLIFE SUPPORT: May provide some nesting sites and shelter for birds and small mammals, but does not serve as much of a host for local insects and wildlife. May provide food for insects in the spring.

FERTILIZING: Minimal; grows well in average soils. May give a root stimulant or 4-3-3 fertilizer during initial planting, then feed lightly in late winter or early spring with compost or an organic fertilizer if desired.

PRUNING: Cut back to just above soil level in early spring to encourage dense regrowth. Leaving stems, leaves, and spent blooms over the winter benefits native pollinators and wildlife.

TOXICITY FLAGS: None known

USES: Rain gardens, pollinator gardens, perennial borders, compact spaces