Yup, I went to a garden center today, and saw a "Little Joe" Pye Weed with toothed leaves. The tall garden phlox, though, looked just like my mystery plant. I guess the leaves lost their variegation? Thx for the help.

Aggressive... yes. I guess I am. Perhaps I should mention that prior to my current newbie attempts to turn a sterile acre of weed infested grass into a garden with interest and character, my entire experience of growing trees from saplings was with bonsai. I'm absolutely okay with a multi-trunked river birch. My neighbour across the road has a gorgeous specimen, that's about 15 years old. I'm just unsure of whether this little sapling has the potential to be a good multi-trunked tree or if it'd be better off with a single trunk. The tree itself came from Shooting Star in KY and was $12 plus shipping (I got some other trees at the same time). I'm more than happy to take some additional pictures. The tot just went down for his nap and it's nice and clouded out there, so now would probably be a good time. As for planting depth, that's how it arrived. Maybe the nursery repotted it just prior to sending it to me? Certainly the soil it was potted in was very loose. I will concede that maybe some fell off as I was putting in the hole but I didn't pull any soil off it. :) (No offense taken, just explaining what I did.)

There are several cultivars of Joe Pye in this area, and some get taller (e.g. I've seen ones with purple stalks that get very tall, while gateway for example is definitely smaller. And sometimes they are mislabelled at nurseries. (I have several varities growing side by side; one has a purple stalk, the other a spotted stalk). You can cut any of them back in June by about half here and they will grow back smaller and bushier. This is not a plant to put in a small space and I wouldn't use it in a formal garden either. Along a wood line it is cool to just let it go and have a good old time.

Betty, With the Choc Joe Pye weed, I just take a growing stem tip and cut it off maybe 6 inches down. I then remove the bottom two sets of leaves, pinch them off right up near the stem. Then I pinch out the growing tip. Dampen a very light potting mix, and if you have it on hand, add a little extra damp perlite. The extra perlite is just a precaution to maintain a well aerated rooting medium. I stick the stem end that's going into the potting mix into root tone or clonex and then into the little pot of potting soil. If it's hot or dry outside, I stick a cover over the pot made from a clear 2 liter plastic cola bottle with the bottom cut out and the cap removed. This helps maintain the moisture. Keep a check on the potting mix, as you don't want it to dry out. Mist the leaves along if you think of it. If the leaves that are remaining on the stem are very large, I cut each leaf in half. Usually I only have four leaves left on the stem above the soil line. I keep the little pot in the shade until I see new growth at the leaf nodes. This is how I do it but this is not absolute; try with what you have. Sometimes we improvise. I've had every cutting of this plant I've tried, root, so I think these plants must be very easy and hardy. I think the key is to begin with a growing tip. I've read this is the best because the plant cells contain strong hormones, as opposed to trying to take a tip cutting late in the summer when plants are beginning to slow their growth. If it were me, I'd give it a try. There's nothing to lose and a lot to gain if you want to try and grow the native variety. I wish I had room for the native variety but my garden area is small so I have to try plants that don't need a lot of room. If you're going to take cuttings from the roadside, carry along a jug of water, where you can stick the cutting as soon as you remove it from the plant. I think I'd also try to take my cuttings early in the day, before the heat of the day saps their strength. It's always fun to try something new. I was encouraged by others on these forums and I've found that most plants root quite easily from tip cuttings. Good luck. Mary