Joe-Pye Weed
Biocultural Value
The Haudenosaunee used various preparations of the root and aboveground parts to treat diarrhea, stomach gas, rheumatism, colds, liver and kidney problems, and tuberculosis. A number of groups prescribed the plant as a tonic during pregnancy and to facilitate women's recovery after childbirth. The hollow stems were used to spray medicine and as a straw to suck water from springs.
Wildlife Value
Spotted Joe Pye weed flowers attract nectar and/or pollen-seeking insects such as honey bees, bumblebees, long-horned bees (Melissodes spp.), leaf-cutting bees (Megachile spp.), bee flies, butterflies, skippers, and moths. Leaf beetles (Exema dispar, Ophraella notata, and Sumitrosis inaequalis) feed on the foliage and an aphid (Aphis vernoniae) sucks the plant's juices. The caterpillars of several moth species feed on the florets, roots, and foliage. Songbirds may eat the seeds and mammalian herbivores may occasionally eat the foliage, although it is not a preferred food source.
