Eupatorium perfoliatum
common boneset
Alternate names: boneset, thoroughwort
Family: Asteraceae, the aster, composite, or sunflower family
Functional group: forbs (wildflowers)
Description
- Life cycle and growth form
Perennial, short-rhizomatous, spreads slowly to form small colonies
Height: 2 - 4 ft
- Leaves and stem
Leaves join around the stem making them look like one leaf (perfoliate) and then taper to a point, opposite arrangement (rarely whorled), leaf margins are wavy with small teeth (crenulate), leaf surfaces have a wrinkled appearance, upper and lower leaf sides are hairy; stems are hairy, erect, and branched in the upper portion of the plant
- Flower, fruit, seedhead
Flower: tiny heads (¼”) of up to 15 disc florets (no visible “petals” or rays), grouped in flat-topped to slightly domed clusters of dozens to hundreds of heads; flower clusters appear fuzzy due to thin styles that extend from each floret
Fruit/seedhead: clusters become fluffy from the center outwards as seeds mature and pappus expands
- Seed
Seed characteristics
Seed weight: 160,000 (Prairie Moon Nursery) 1000 seed weight: 0.11 g (Seed Information Database)
Description: long slender, dark gray seeds (achenes) up to 2.5 mm long with a short tuft of white hairs (pappus)
Typical seed test:
PLS: 68%
Purity: 71%
Germination: 16%
Dormancy: 81%
- Habitat and range
Adaptation/habitat: Common boneset grows in moist to wet, organic-rich soils in full sun and is found in wet pastures, sedge meadows, and fens. The USDA classifies it as an Obligate Wetland species in the Midwest region. It benefits from irrigation in production systems.
Threatened or endangered status: no state or federal listings found
Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2023. North American Plant Atlas. (http://bonap.net/napa). Chapel Hill, N.C. [maps generated from Kartesz, J.T. 2023. Floristic Synthesis of North America, Version 1.0. Biota of North America Program (BONAP). (in press)]
General comments
The clouds of sweet-scented flowers attract a diverse assemblage of pollinating insects. Bitter compounds in the foliage deter mammalian herbivores, although some moth larvae use common boneset as a host plant. This species has traditional medicinal and ceremonial uses among Native tribes within its range, and was adopted as a treatment for colds and fevers by colonial settlers. It is currently under investigation by researchers in Germany and India for use in treatment of viral illnesses such as colds, flu, and dengue fever as well as malaria. Caution: this plant also contains phytochemicals that may be toxic to the liver.
Recommendations for seed production
- Establishment for seed production
Direct seeding (We do not have experience in direct seeding this species for seed production. It reportedly has low germination rates in direct seedings. High seeding rates and fall planting are recommended.)
Seeding rate:
Row spacing:
Seeding time:
Weed control:
Greenhouse
Seed pre-treatment: 60 days cold-moist stratification
Sowing: The seed is small and should be surface sown. If started in germination flats, transplant to individual plugs when seedlings have their first pair of true leaves, about 4 weeks after seeding.
Transplanting: Seedlings are ready to transplant to the field about 6-8 weeks after being transferred to plugs when their roots are well-branched and numerous root tips are visible at hole(s) in the base of the plug. Pop out a few plugs to check for adequate root development that will provide sturdy plugs for planting. Seedlings are fast growing and may need to be clipped back before transplanting to improve the shoot:root ratio. A week or two before transplanting, move flats outside to ‘harden off.’ (See the Propagation chapter in General Information for more details.)
- Stand management
Irrigate: Irrigation is necessary in most soils to obtain maximum seed yield.
Weeds: In the first season after transplanting, weeds are suppressed by a plastic weed barrier. Plants spread slowly by short rhizomes; in second and subsequent years, holes in plastic may need to be expanded or plastic removed to make room for new stems. Well-established plots shade out most weeds.
Pests: No issues identified.
Diseases: No issues identified.
- Seed production
First harvest: Plants flower and set a little seed the first year when transplanted in spring.
Yield per acre: 80-130 pounds per acre (see yield graph)
Stand life: unknown
Flowering date: August - September in NE Iowa
Seed maturity: mid-Sept through mid-Oct
Harvest date range at TPC (2022-2023): Sept 15 - Oct 7
Recommended harvest method: Watch for the centers of seed clusters to begin shattering, and pick early maturing seed heads (clip stalks below seed clusters). If some heads in a cluster are still closed (not fluffy), pull apart a few heads to see if the seeds are dark-colored and separate easily from the base (receptacle). Combine the rest of the plot at peak maturity. Turn off the air or combine will disperse the fluffy seeds.
- Seed cleaning and storage
Cleaning process: If hand clipped, run dried material through a ¼” mesh to thresh seed from stalks. Use a brush machine (soft bristles, minimum vacuum) to remove pappus. The seed is fragile, and some seed is dehulled, even when soft bristles are used. Winnow with a box fan to separate the seed from most of the pappus and chaff. Airscreen 2-3 times to finish cleaning. See Appendix C for specific settings.
Seed storage: Orthodox (dry/cool) for up to 3 years (USDA Plant Fact Sheet)
Released Germplasm
Source identified material: Natural Selections/Iowa Ecotype Zone NI
Cultivated varieties: none known
References
Belt, S. 2009. Plant fact sheet for common boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum L.). USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Norman A. Berg National Plant Materials Center, Beltsville, MD 20705.
Cochrane, T. S., Elliot, K., & Lipke, C. S. (2014). Boneset. In Prairie Plants of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum (3rd ed., p. 79). essay, University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum.
Common Boneset. Illinois Wildflowers . (n.d.). https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/cm_boneset.htm
Eupatorium perfoliatum (Common Boneset). Minnesota Wildflowers. (n.d.). https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/common-boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum. Prairie Moon Nursery. (n.d.). https://www.prairiemoon.com/eupatorium-perfoliatum-boneset-prairie-moon…;
SER, INSR, RBGK, Seed Information Database (SID). (2023). Eupatorium perfoliatum. https://ser-sid.org/species/e29e87df-3177-43f1-bfcd-bc052339de84
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (n.d.). FWS-Listed U.S. Species by Taxonomic Group - All Plants. ECOS - Environmental Conservation Online System . https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/report/species-listings-by-tax-group?statusCategory=Listed&groupName=All+Plants&total=939+accessed+12%2F15%2F2023
USDA NRCS National Plant Data Team. (n.d.). Eupatorium perfoliatum L. . USDA plants database. https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=EUPE3
Species Guide Updated 2/13/2024
