Eupatorium fistulosum var. albidum Bartered Bride

Eupatorium fistulosum 'Bartered Bride', a superb descendant of the hollow-stemmed Joe-Pye Weed, is the most beautiful white-flowered form of this opulent North American perennial that is dedicated to cool and moist places.  It chooses the end of summer to produce fluffy inflorescences in very white corymbs, whiter and larger than those of the wild species. It will thrive at the edge of a pond, but also in a gently sunny bed where the soil remains fresh even in the height of summer. This magnificent Eupatorium seduces with its blurry and light appearance, which give the garden a slightly wild touch. 

Eupatorium fistulosum is a tall herbaceous perennial of the Asteraceae family native to North America. It is found from southeast Canada to the east and centre of the USA, mostly in meadows and moist forests, marshes, and along streams.  'Bartered Bride' is a beautiful improvement of the white-flowered form called Eupatorium fistulosum var albidum. This plant grows in a large clump of leafy stems that can reach a height of 1.80 m (6ft) under favourable conditions. It spreads in width through its stump, occupying sometimes more than 1 m (3ft) of soil over time. The stems, vertical, hollow but solid, bear large leaves measuring up to 25 cm (10in) long, lanceolate in shape, coarsely toothed, in a very deep dark green shade. The leaves are arranged in whorls or clusters of 4 to 7 around the stems. Flowering occurs in late summer, usually from August, and extends into September. At the tips of the green stems, branched inflorescences called corymbs are born, composed of a multitude of tiny pure white flowers organised in heads. Each flower corymb can reach 40 cm (16in) in diameter. This flowering is a bit late but it adds a lot of charm to the garden, especially as it exhales a pleasant vanilla scent that attracts pollinating insects. It retains its decorative appearance in winter thanks to its fruits topped with small fluffy plumes that disperse with the wind. The foliage, deciduous, dries up in winter.

The 'Bartered Bride' Eupatorium is an easy-to-grow plant that withstands cold, insects, and diseases. It is content with any soil that remains damp in a sunny to semi-shady position, and it is a nectar plant that is very pleasing to bees and butterflies. It finds its place on the banks of water features, but also at the back of wildflower beds or at the edge of a grove, in heavy and moist soil. It can be associated, for example, with bugbanes, Meadow-rues and Goat's Beards , very beautiful and equally robust and hardy perennials that appreciate the same environments.  It is also stunning in a wild garden accompanied by double-flowered Hemp Agrimonies.