joe-pye weed

noun

: any of several tall North American perennial composite herbs (especially Eutrochium maculatum and E. purpureum) with whorled leaves and corymbose heads of typically purplish tubular flowers

Examples of joe-pye weed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Taller plants, such as joe-pye weed, are sown in the middle. Bill McKibben, The New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2024 Like Eupatorium maculatum [spotted joe-pye weed], Asclepias tuberosa [butterfly weed] and species of echinacea [coneflower], aster and eryngium [sea holly]. John Wogan Carmen Winant, New York Times, 28 Nov. 2023 The agency is also asking people to plant and encourage the planting of good nectar sources like red clover, foxglove, bee balm, and joe-pye weed to give the besieged honey bees a boost. Smriti Rao, Discover Magazine, 26 Mar. 2010 Many species of caterpillars exclusively eat milkweed leaves, and butterflies consume nectar from natives, including wild bergamots, yarrows and joe-pye weed. Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2022 But also hickory, chestnut, elms and birches, and joe-pye weed, aster, marsh marigold, skunk cabbage, snakeweed. Matthew Cicanese and Erika Reiter, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Apr. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'joe-pye weed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of joe-pye weed was in 1818

Dictionary Entries Near joe-pye weed

Cite this Entry

“Joe-pye weed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/joe-pye%20weed. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Definition revised
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