COMMON NAME : Sweet Joe-Pye Weed, Gravelroot, Hempweed, Joe-Pie, Jopi Weed, Trumpet Weed, Queen of the Meadow, Kidney Root, Fever Weed, Purple Boneset

ELEMENT : Water

RULING PLANET : Venus

GENDER : Feminine

MAGICKAL POWERS : Love, Respect

DESCRIPTION :

Joe Pye Weed is a perennial that grows 5-6 feet in height. The stem is greenish, rigid and partially hollow. It is erect and unbranched. There are purplish spots or bands where the leaves join the stem.

The leaves are rough and crinkly above and downy underneath and have a scent similar to vanilla when crushed. They circle the stem in whorls of 3-5 every couple of inches up the stem. Joe Pye leaves are oblong, pointed, with edges coarsely and unequally toothed. The leaf stalks are short.

Tubular flowers appear in dome shaped clusters from August through September. Color ranges from dull pink to purple.

The root has a fragrance similar to old hay, with a slightly bitter taste.

There are 40 species in the genus. Some of the other popular species include:

Boneset, E. perfoliatum. This plant has pairs of grey-green leaves that join the stem by appearing to clasp it. There is no leaf stem. Stems are topped with loose flat clusters of chalk-white flowers.

Spotted Joe Pye Weed, E. maculatum has a purple or purple-spotted stem. Leaves are hairy above and stems are topped with large pinkish purple flowers in a cluster.

Hollow Joe Pye Weed, E. fistulosum, with a hollow stem.

CULTIVATION : Joe Pye grows wild from Canada, south to Florida and west to Texas and the Dakotas. It prefers rich lowlands and the banks of streams, moist woods swamps or marshes. Grow it in full sun to part shade in rich well drained soil. Propagate Joe Pye from rootstock divisions in fall or cold treated seeds.

Hardy to U.S. Zones 4-9

PART OF THE PLANT USED : The root, collected in autumn, and the flowers.

PLANT ANALYSIS : Eupatorin, volatile oil, gallic acid, tannin, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, volatile oil, flavonoids and resin.

MEDICINAL ACTION : Diaphoretic, aperient, tonic, antispasmodic, relaxes mucus membranes.

MEDICINAL USE : Current uses for Joe Pye include : relief of associated symptoms accompanying influenza, for relief of aches, pains and fevers. It is thought to help clear the upper respiratory tract of mucous congestion. Its mild aperient activity should help clear the body of built up waste and ease constipation. For flu symptoms, it may be combined with yarrow, elder flowers, cayenne or ginger. It may be used as a diuretic and astringent.

DOSAGE :

Eupatorium perfolatum and all Eupatoriums may cause kidney and liver damage, internal hemorrhaging and severe intestinal problems. Do not use without proper supervision. In large doses it is emetic, and, like many herbs, can be toxic if used in a casual way.

For an infusion : 1-2 teaspoon of the dried herb to 1 cup boiling water. Infuse 10-15 minutes. To be drunk as hot as you can stand it, every half hour. For a tincture : 2-4 ml 3 times a day.

MAGICKAL USE : Use Joe Pye weed in rituals or spells for love and/or respect.

HISTORY :

The name Eupatorium is from Eupator (Mithridates Eupator, King of Parthis 120-63 BCE.) He said to have discovered the medicinal effectiveness of this family.

The common name Joe Pye is said to be the name of a Native American that helped early colonists cure fevers and outbreaks of typhus using this plant.

Early settlers used the leaves and root to produce profuse sweating needed to break fevers.

The native Cherokee used the root of E. purpureum in a decoction with similar plants that were not identified, for difficulty in urination.

The native Meskwakis used E. purpureum as a love medicine.

Joe Pye was used by the Iroquois and Cherokees as a diuretic.

The Ojibwa used Joe Pye to strengthen a child. They would wash the child with a strong solution for first 6 years of its life.

Potawatomi Native Americans used the fresh leaves in poultices for healing burns and the flowering tops as good luck talismans.

The Chippewa used a decoction of the root as a warm wash for inflammation of the joints, or in a child's bath to induce sleep.

Uses of E. purpureum in the past include : dropsy, gravel, gout, rheumatism, chronic renal and cystic trouble.

In July of 1996 the AHPA Board of Trustees recommended that all products with botanical ingredients that contain toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids display this caution : "For external use only. Do not apply to broken or abraded skin. Do not use when nursing." This warning includes Joe Pye Weed.

E. purpureum was in the U.S. Pharmacopeia from 1820-42. All members of this family were listed as a diuretic, stimulant, astringent, emetic, and cathartic.

LORE :

Put a leaf of Joe Pye in your mouth while making advances to the opposite sex. You will be successful.

Gamblers had been known to carry a few leaves as a good luck charm.

When you want others to look upon you with respect, carry a few leaves of this plant.