Hyssop-leafed Thoroughwort

Eupatorium hyssopifolium

Hyssop-leafed Thoroughwort earns its place at the back of a dry border with narrow, aromatic leaves and flat-topped clusters of white flowers that arrive in late summer when most everything else has already peaked. The blooms are small but collectively create a haze of soft white that floats above the stems, attracting a parade of late-season butterflies and native bees that are hungry before the frost. This one tolerates the tough spots: dry, sandy, or rocky soil, full sun, neglect. Once established it asks for very little and gives back reliably every fall. The foliage itself carries a faint herbal scent when brushed. Plant it toward the back of a meadow planting or at the edge of a sunny border where fall interest matters most.