Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Section: Common Name: Scientific Name: Family:
Account for Tall Thoroughwort - Eupatorium altissimum   L.
Members of Asteraceae:
Members of Eupatorium with account distribution info or public map:
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Section 6 » Order Asterales » Family Asteraceae
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AuthorL.
DistributionPiedmont, perhaps exclusively. Reports from Burke and McDowell counties (NCNHP) may be from the low Mountains. Most specimen records from Moore and Randolph counties were based on misidentifications.

Southern Que to MN and NE, south to northern FL and TX. Generally very rare on the Coastal Plains.
AbundanceRare to locally uncommon in the eastern and central Piedmont, and rare in the upper Piedmont. This is a Watch List species. The NCNHP's State Rank of S2 is somewhat too conservative, and S2S3 is a better rank.
HabitatOpen upland woodlands, glades, and barrens, restricted to mafic soils; openings and powerlines in the same habitats. Where it occurs, several other rare "prairie plants" typically can be found.
PhenologyFlowering and fruiting late August-November.
IdentificationTall Thoroughwort grows 2.5-6 feet tall, with thick-textured (rubbery or leathery), narrowly elliptic leaves that show 3 distinct nerves. Leaves taper to both ends and may be untoothed or toothed only in the outer half. Together, these leaf features are distinctive.
Taxonomic CommentsNone

Other Common Name(s)Tall Eupatorium, Tall Boneset
State RankS2 [S2S3]
Global RankG5
State StatusW1
US Status
USACE-agcp
USACE-emp
County Map - click on a county to view source of record.
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Harry LeGrandPennys Bend area, Durham County; 14 July 2020 DurhamPhoto_natural
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