eupatorium chocolate : eupatorium rugosum, white snakeroot

16 years ago

Hi all,

I brought this home when it caught my eye at a nursery and planted it east of my house, where it will be in shade starting at noon because the tag read part shade. After researching on the internet a number of places says it does better in full sun. Does anyone have experience with it? Which is correct for southern New England? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Lisa

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Comments (7)

mayalena
16 years ago
Hi Lisa. At my house, it cringed in full sun, looking very hot and droopy during the afternoon. I now have it in part shade, and it's much, much happier. That said, I may be about to pull it out...all 10,000 plants! It has reseeded like mad. While I like the foliage, it's a big spreader -- tho certainly easy to remove. I know some people have cultivars that don't reseed. Don't know why mine does! Try it in part-shade and see what happens!
Good luck,
ML
pamcleod
16 years ago
Mayalena, I will drive down and take some of those seedlings if you want to rehome them!
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claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
16 years ago
My next door neighbor has it in mostly full sun (late morning - all afternoon) in a hot location. They went on vacation during the June drought and I had to water the poor thing every day to keep it from wilting. And I'm talking buckets of water, not just a sprinkler.

Please give it some shade, and lots of mulch.

Claire
diggingthedirt
16 years ago
And dead-head it religiously. The flowers are not all that interesting, and the seedlings are pesky. At least, that's the case here in the warmer section of New England. Mine was from White Flower Farm, bought back in the days when I assumed they would not sell anything that would misbehave this badly. If I move away from here, my yard will quickly be covered with these plants.

The foliage color is very variable in the seedlings, too.
lschibley
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you so much for the info. It is walled in on two sides. If it wants to move forward it will have to fight through an Ajuga Bronze Beauty ground cover, which complements its colors quite nicely. So it sounds like it might be happy. Thanks again!

Lisa
terrene
16 years ago
Well I must have an unusual specimen because mine is in full sun, with soil that is sandy loam and very well-drained. I don't water it any more than anything else. I have never noticed that it is droopy or wilting.

I have also never gotten ONE seedling! I am jealous of all these posters getting seedlings because I would love to have one or two more of these plants. Mayalena I think you even offered me a seedling at last year's swap, which I didn't take and now I regret it! :)

I also love the cloud of white flowers which attract zillions of pollinators late in the season.

So odd that we have such different experiences with the same plant sometimes!
mayalena
16 years ago
Hi Pamcleod.
Uh oh.... Guess what I spent yesterday doing? That said, I am sure we can find a few more seedlings if you really want them! I'll try to email you over your member page.
Best,
ML