it gets huge. at least 5'. We had this exact conversation 2 years ago, but its gone now.

I tried pinching mine early in the season as an experiment to keep the size in check, but it didn't work out. It delayed them way too long and they were too small.

I divided and moved mine last fall to at least be in back of the border so the height didn't block out other things.

And it is pretty and a butterfly magnet,
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but watch out! This is in August where the section on the left was not cut back. The two sections on the right were cut back. Not sure just when. Its written down somewehre.

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H'mm; the color on yours looks like the tag I saw on the regular Joe Pye Weed, which I didn't buy because I have no space to fit one...the color shown on mine is definitely a bright pink, though we all know how accurate TAGS are...

I still hope "Little Joe" really will be little. Little-er.

Who is Joe Pye, anyway???

Yea, I agree...those pics look like the regular Joe Pye (Eupatorium purpureum)...

I just picked up a 'Little Joe' (Eupatorium rugosum 'Little Joe') and the leaves are a bit crinkled and very shiny...much more rigid than the other two I have (E. purpureum and E. rugosum 'Chocolate').

One word of caution, they MUST be kept moist or the leaves will scorch...I mean they will turn completely crisp and die...

I let mine dry out (in the pot) for one day and this happened...I think I have new leaves coming out at the nodes, but it was a major set back.

The leaves on the Little Joe I got are very crinkled too. The nursery had a whole row of Little Joe and a whole row of regular Eupatorium. So you could tell at a glance if something was in the wrong row. Height, color, crinkles: all different.

What a lovely plant! Can you tell me how wide it spreads please? I have a bed that will probably allow 2-3 feet of spread but not much more. Would it be too narrow for Little Joe please?

Page 2 of the link has a couple sentences on who Joe Pye may have been.

Here is a link that might be useful: joe pye