Eutrochium maculatum

Spotted Joe Pye Weed. This is a lovely native wild flower that is irresistible to butterflies. It grows 6 feet tall with fluffy, mauve flowers arranged in large umbels. It grows best in full sun and prefers moist or even wet soils but it will do fine in ordinary garden soil. I’ve had best luck germinating the seeds by winter sowing them in covered containers and placing them outside to be stratified in the cold for several weeks.