Genus: Eupatorium

Gosh....!!!! as far as I go reading the convey about the flowers and plants, as much scary I become, i don't know a thing about plants and flowers!!!!!
I'll be glad to limit my coments to the colors and how beautiful are the pictures.... hehehe,
I'll join Lori... wonderful color!!!

Yes, indeed, they can spread to the point of being invasive! What is the problem with it, Adoons?

My Black Bamboo is really suffering, it is in a huge oak barrel, it get watered every 2nd day, what am I doing wrong. I am at the point of chucking it, but I paid a ransom price 4 it. Do they spread??

Zone five huh? Great ....it goes on the never ending list! wonderful colour.

I had better write that name down , it,s very pretty

Flcrazy, Thanks for all these useful info. It sounds like all the positive attributes (flower, fall blooming, shade, clay soil, hardy etc.) far out weigh the one relatively easy to control spreading habit. I am in. Thanks again. I am also impressed by your detailed knowledge of your plant.

Garcan, mine spreads by the roots. It forms a thick matted type root system about an inch under the ground. This plant has been used for soil erosion purposes because of it's tight matting roots. It stays in the area where I planted it, but the clump more than doubles in size every year if I don't dig any of it up. It's not that hard to remove, the roots aren't deep, I use a hand spade and run it under the surface of the soil and pull out what I don't want. It looks like I've dug up an old rug that's been buried under the ground...lol.
Most everyone has at least one trouble spot in the garden where they just can't seem to get anything to live and grow, well that would be the perfect spot to plant this one. It will grow in solid clay soil in full sun and sparingly in dry, loam soil in shade. Just don't plant it in amended, 'perfect' loamy soil .

Thanks Flcrazy. I was Googling around using the word 'Mistflower', and was quite confused by the the three names 'Conoclinium' and 'Eupatorium' and 'Ageratum' appearing here and there. Now your explanation makes it all clear. I was also having a hard time trying to find out the hardiness. Now, knowing it is hardy to Zone 5, I am eager to add it to my 'Hit List' for next spring. Can you please elaborate a bit more on its 'aggressiveness'. Does it have an invasive spreading habit or self sow indiscriminately?

GT , you were very close to being right, one of it's common names is hardy ageratum. These get to be about 3 feet tall, and bloom for about 4 weeks from late Sept, till late Oct. here in North Carolina. Garcan, it's botanical name now is Conoclinium coelestinum. I've grown up knowing it as Eupatorium coelestinum, it's one of those plants that they can't decide what class it belongs in..lol. Either way, I believe it's hardy to zone 5, so you may be able to grow it yourself. It is a bit on the agressive side, but most of my plants are...lol. They require alot less petting that way,and these require no petting at all !

This really looks great. Hope they come through for you!

I had to look up, this looks so much like the ageratum I grew this year, though that is not a perenial. Very beautiful, and it looks relatively tall.

They are about 2'6" tall perennials - and are supposed to be hardy! I really hope they are, as I bought them to complement the new red Hydrangea I planted this year.

I'd not heard of this.
I really like it.
Somehow it looks like a spring time plant, but flowering in autumn - that's nice.
Very lovely.
Is it a large bush ?

That is a beautiful plant and shot. Do you know the name of the variety by any chance?

What a nice color they add to the landscape...

Not heard of this plant before. It's very pretty - and my favourite colour.

It is lovely as well Amy.

Ireally like that ,it,s lovely

This reminds me of White Snakeroot Spritz..........which is Eupatorium rugosum. It's white. It's also hardy up in Canada (Zone 3a) so maybe that would work for you? It's a native wildflower here and I can collect seeds for you if you want. It likes shade or part shade.

Oh dear !!!!!!!! still it is very pretty .. hope you get away with it , cover it well in the winter .

AAAAAAH!!!!! Why didn't I ask them???? Why didn't they tell me????RHS book indeed says not frost hardy. I shall KILL my friend at that Nursery! (Fortunately it was a local Nursery's stand) I shall ring them tomorrow and ask them. Many thanks for spotting that, Andrew. It was to fill a gap in my top border so it was important and looked perfect for the space..... A few minutes later.... I've checked it out on several websites and they say 'mild area', 'hardy to -12 degrees' and 'can be grown in a sheltered sunny position outdoors' - I shall still ask the Nursery, though!

Is this totally hardy spritz? My bible seems to imply it isn't but Beth Chatto says it shoots from the base like a hardy fuchsia

Amazing photo. Love it!

Great shot.

And in the picture's background it really looks like a misty flower. Lovely shot Diohio.

Awesome close-up ! We rarely ever get to see these anymore, they have changed their migratory route, darn it...

Great shot! Aren't they gorgeous? Went camping in the Appalachian Mtns in Sept. years ago, to see the annual migration of these beautiful butterflies. They go through a small pass high in the mtns by the millions and you can see them collecting on the trees in the evening to overnight together before continuing on the next morning. It was a moving experience. I have felt a personal connection with these fab. butterflies ever since.

this is beautiful , I had a phrase were I was doing stained glass pctures of butterflys as a hobby , and this is like one of my favourites

Definitely a case of 'small is beautiful'

Another great butterfly photo from you

Exactly Flcrazy ! It's a wild ageratum ! Taller though. I'll send you seeds !

Love this plant, they look like ageratum, only much taller, and a great spreader, and a perennial to boot.! Great crisp, clear pic.!

Thank you so much Lori ! You're right. A lot of the things that we see as emergencies are because we messed with something that we shouldn't have in the first place. So yes, on those occasions we need to help.

This plant should definately help attract butterflies, but beware, you'll have seedlings come up. If they get where you don't want them you can either transplant them to where you'd want them or else yank them and toss them when they're small. Something I've done for the past few years is once the ball of flowers goes to seed I'll cut it off and put it where I want more to come up.

Isn't it wonderful what nature does on her own?! I have a garden bed that I leave alone...I have pics of a lovely mix of QA-Lace, echinacea, raspberry, rudbeckia, etc. and it came on the wind or from birds.
Bless you and may you live long and prosper... wish more people had their eyes open. nature doesn't need us... we just stand by for emergencies...and even some things we see as emergencies should be ignored because lady nature has other plans... Cheers!

We see Joe-Pye in the marshes around here but very few people try it in their gardens...did I mention my intended bog garden...here's a likely candidate for the backdrop. I live in a city and my backgarden is completely fenced...don't see many butterflies. I'm hoping to see more as I plant more of their favourites.

Fab Colour :)

I want this plant......

I have some of this pye weed next to my house. It sure does attract butterflies. Mine only gets to about 7 feet tall. I also have the shorted chocolate pye weed.

Another cracking photo, Di.

All these magnificent butterflies, they are fab!! I am soooooo envious~