Eutrochium maculatum 'GLUTBALL' Joe Pye Weed

Glutball is one of the tallest Joe Pye weed varieties and, just like its brother Riesenschirm (‘Giant umbrella’), it bears a German name. This time it says something like ‘The ballon of embers’ and even though we did not manage to trace back the breeder who developed this amazing variety, I am confident that what he referred to was the glowing colour of the flowering panicle, and perhaps the stems, too. Glutball makes up to 30 cm wide, panicles composed of bright purple red flower buds which open to dusky pink, fringed flowers from late July until early autumn. They attract bees, butterflies, and other winged insect, and provide them with plenty of food late in the season when not many flowers bloom.

Leaves are deciduous, large, broadly lanceolate, whorled (usually 4), serrated at margins, mid to dark green. The stems are strong, rich maroon, and glossy and form a substantial perennial clump that can grow up to 2m tall. Its architectural habit makes it a breathtaking feature of the back of a moist to wet perennial border but is also very beautiful as a stand-alone specimen among shrubs or small trees and can certainly be placed at the bank of a stream or a pond as it can partially stand in water. If you have a moist bed try a combination with swamp mallows (hardy hibiscus) and leopard plant (ligularia), this mix will look stunning and bloom all summer long.

This perennial was formerly called eupatorium but is now shifted to a new genus eutrochium because of its leaves which are opposite on eupatorium and whorled on eutrochium. It may get a little confusing when it comes to its hybrids that come from eutrochium genus but turn out to have opposite leaves.

Joe Pye Weed likes moist sites and when established it takes some level of occasional waterlogging, it can even grow at the marshy edge of a pond when it seeds itself there. It thrives in fertile, preferably alkaline soil in full sun or very light shade. Its stems are strong enough to take most weather caprices so you needn’t find it a sheltered spot. In spring remove all stems from previous year and beware of slugs that love its newly emerging foliage. It is hardy to at least -30 °C (USDA zone 5), possibly a little more.

Last update 12-08-2024