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Common Boneset

Eupatorium perfoliatum · Sunflowers, Daisies, Asters, and Allies

Common Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)
(c) Stacey Patrick, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Stacey Patrick · CC BY-NC · via iNaturalist

Common Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) is in the Sunflowers, Daisies, Asters, and Allies family (Asteraceae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 2,692 research-grade flowering observations of it in our sample, peaking in August.

Nationally it blooms mainly from August to September, but timing varies a lot by state and elevation — see the table below.

When to photograph Common Boneset: observations by month (U.S.)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

About Common Boneset

Eupatorium perfoliatum or (common) boneset is a common North American perennial plant in the sunflower family. It is native to the Eastern United States and Canada, widespread from Nova Scotia to Florida, west as far as Texas, Nebraska, the Dakotas, and Manitoba. It is also called "agueweed", "feverwort" or "sweating-plant". It was introduced to American colonists by Indians who used the plant for breaking fevers by means of heavy sweating. It is nearly always found in...From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.

Common Boneset by state

StateObservationsPeak monthMain season
Vermont470AugustAug–Sep
New York245AugustAug–Sep
Ohio208AugustAug–Sep
Massachusetts198AugustAug–Sep
Pennsylvania193AugustAug–Sep
Wisconsin154AugustAug–Sep
New Hampshire145AugustAug–Sep
Indiana133AugustAug–Sep
Minnesota129AugustAug–Sep
Michigan102AugustAug–Sep
Maine99AugustAug–Sep
North Carolina79AugustAug–Sep
New Jersey69AugustAug–Sep
Connecticut66AugustAug–Sep
Maryland55SeptemberAug–Sep
Illinois51AugustJul–Sep
Kentucky49AugustAug–Sep
Mississippi47SeptemberSep–Oct
Virginia44SeptemberAug–Oct
West Virginia33AugustAug–Sep
Iowa26AugustJul–Sep
Arkansas19AugustAug–Oct
Tennessee18SeptemberAug–Sep
Alabama17SeptemberSep–Sep
Missouri11AugustJul–Sep
Louisiana9SeptemberSep–Oct
Rhode Island8SeptemberAug–Sep

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Related wildflowers (Sunflowers, Daisies, Asters, and Allies)

Photography tips

  • Photograph flowers on calm, overcast mornings to avoid wind blur and harsh shadows.
  • Get low: a shallow depth of field (f/2.8–f/5.6) isolates a bloom against soft color.
  • Stay on trails — trampling meadows kills plants and ruins next year's display.
  • Try a kaleidoscope abstract of a single bloom with our online kaleidoscope tool.

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Common Boneset?
Nationally, August has the most observations, with the main season from August to September.
Where is Common Boneset most often seen?
The most observations come from Vermont, New York, Ohio.