Hairy Thoroughwort
Eupatorium pubescens
Fuzzy white flower clusters from August through October, landing platforms for butterflies and bees. Handles dry woodlands to moist meadow edges.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
A dependable fall-blooming white flat-top for butterflies and native bees in a wide range of conditions.
Hairy thoroughwort is a robust late-summer bloomer carrying flat-topped clusters of fuzzy white flowers on hairy stems from August through October. The foliage is noticeably rough and hairy to the touch, giving the plant a coarser texture than its relative boneset but the same concentrated pollinator appeal. Butterflies and native bees use the open flower clusters as landing platforms, making it one of the more visible pollinator plants in the fall garden. It tolerates a wide range of conditions from dry woodlands to moist meadow margins. The dried seed heads hold well through winter and provide seed for small birds. An unassuming plant that does consistent ecological work without demanding attention or care.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown hairy thoroughwort propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 2–4 ft · 18–24 in wide
- Bloom time
- August–October
- Bloom color
- White
- USDA zones
- 5–9
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Native range
- Eastern and southeastern United States from Pennsylvania south to Florida and west to Texas
Care notes for hairy thoroughwort.
Full to part sun in average to dry soil. More drought tolerant than boneset but performs well across a wide moisture range. Cut back in early spring before new growth. Self-seeds moderately; allow some seedlings to build a colony in naturalized areas.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside hairy thoroughwort.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.