• Provides nectar and pollen for bees
• Dye herb
• Aromatic
• Very tall perennial

Also commonly known as Joe Pye Weed, Native Americans used gravelroot to induce perspiration to break a fever and as a dye plant. If you have the space for such a tall plant, this is a splendid herb to grow

Plant Care

• Height: 150+cm
• Type: Hardy
• Aspect: Sun
• Soil: Any/alkaline
• Flower colour: Pink
• Flowering period: July – September

This strikingly tall perennial is likes a rich well drained soil and sun. it can spread into large clumps growing in the ground and should be planted at the back of a border. It can be grown in a pot with plenty of additional feeding, but can become pot bound quite quickly. Gravelroot dies right down in the winter and the stems should be cut right back each autumn.

Usage

It is the rhizome of gravelroot that is used in traditional medicine to induce perspiration to help break fevers and for its soothing qualities in urinary tract infections and to help dissolve urinary stones and eliminate uric acid.
The small fruits yield a dye and the leaves can be burnt to keep away flies.