As a group, the Joe Pye Weeds are spectacular flowering plants individually and when given room to spread.  The large, domed flower heads consists of tiny florets of pink and lavender hues, blooming from July to September.
 
     Sweet Joe Pye Weed, Eutrochium purpureum,  has vanilla-scented flowers and leaves when crushed.  It also can tolerate drier soils than others in its group.  It's an important source of honey, attracting tons of pollinators, songbirds and butterflies.
 
     Fun fact: Joe Pye allegedly was a medicine man in Colonial Massachusetts who used concoctions from a wild plant found growing in the nearby woods to cure typhoid fever (New York Times).
 
     1st photo: National Parks Gallery