Eupatorium hyssopifolium (Hyssop-Leaf Thoroughwort)

A genuinely tough, salt-tolerant late-season bloomer, hyssop-leaf thoroughwort thrives in the driest, sandiest, most disturbed sites on a project while delivering an exceptional range of pollinator value — confirmed larval host for the Clymene moth and forage for specific named native bee species.

Species Overview
Eupatorium hyssopifolium, commonly called hyssopleaf thoroughwort, is an attractive perennial growing 2 to 4 feet tall with very narrow, gray-green foliage in a vase-shaped habit. Large clusters of small, white flowers appear in late summer, usually starting in late July and continuing as late as October. It's commonly found in disturbed areas along roadsides, dry fields, and salt meadows, and is notably salt- and drought-tolerant.

Application

• Restoration on dry, sandy, or salt-exposed sites — roadsides, coastal gardens, disturbed ground
• Late-season pollinator habitat, particularly for native bees, wasps, and butterflies
• Deer-pressured sites
• Larval host habitat for the Clymene moth
• Erosion control and low-maintenance meadow plantings

Growing Conditions / Specification Data

• Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
• Soil/Moisture Tolerance: Dry to moist, sandy or gravelly, well-drained soils; salt-tolerant
• Drought Tolerance: High
• Flood Tolerance: Low — a dry-mesic old-field species; not tolerant of standing water
• Plant Type: Forb
• Mature Height: 2–4 ft.
• Fall Color: Insignificant/None
• Bloom Color / Period: White; August–October
• Native Range: Massachusetts to Florida, west to Missouri and Texas; widest distribution on the coastal plain
• Shade Tolerance: Intermediate
• Growth Habit: Upright
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5–9
• Deer Resistance: Yes (Rarely Damaged)
• Pollinator Value: Larval host, supports bees, supports specialist/oligolectic bees, supports butterflies, supports moths

Planting Guidance
Space plants 2 ft. on center; will stretch and flop over in overly rich, organic soils — lean, well-drained sites keep it more compact.