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I have managed to add 2 pictures in to the photo gallery titled plants and plants 2 but I can't work out how to add the pictures to this post. (the pictures were taken in the rain so no butterflies)
Hello I am new to this forum and I'm hoping someone can tell me the name of a plant that I have that seems to attract butterflies and insects in far greater numbers than the 2 buddleia's that I have (beating the buddleia's by about 10 to 1 in terms of numbers attracted).
I can only describe it as I don't have any pictures so here goes;
Approx 7ft tall (fully grown)
Has pink/red flowers at the top of a single stem (bamboo style)
Flowers August-Oct
Dies back in winter and I cut it back to ground level, perenial
forms a clump, mine is about 5ft across
Attracts Red Admirals, Tortoise, Painted Ladies, Whites and just about any butterflies and insects that enter my garden.
seems to grow well in clay but does wilt a little on hot sunny days but soon comes back as the day cools.
I have often seen over 50 butterflies on it when my buddleia which is only 12 ft away has none.

I hope someone can help as a friend has been asking what it is so that he can get one but I simply don't know as I only bought it because it looked good and the butterfly attraction was a welcome spin off.

I am a gardener by trade and I just don't have a clue what it is but if you take a leaf and a flower to the local garden centre then they should know what it is. Then you can come back and all the gardeners can go out and buy one. I hope you enjoy this web site, I'm sure you will. Regards Shirley

Hi Dave, It sounds to me, although I am no genius in the garden, like a mature clump of Verbena Bonaris. Do the flower heads look like this?

Denise

Hi Dave,

From your photo's it looks like Hemp Agrimony. Here is a pic of a Meadow Brown on mine that I took last year just as it wes going over.
I hope that this helps.
Denise

Denise wrote:Hi Dave, It sounds to me, although I am no genius in the garden, like a mature clump of Verbena Bonaris. Do the flower heads look like this?

Denise

Thanks for the suggestion but definately not Verbena. A Friend has added 2 pictures into my photo gallery (I'm not too good with computers) titled "plants" I hope these help with identifying them.

Hi, I thought that it might be Valerian. Shirley

Hi Dave, does it look like this by any chance? This is red valerian (although it looks more pink to me) with a peacock and small tortoiseshell on it (always attracts the butterflies around my area anyway :

Hullo Dave and welcome to UK Butterflies!

Your photos definitely show it to be Hemp Agrimony. There is the wild species and also some cultivated ones. As you have observed, they can be a magnet for butterflies and bees.

Polly

Many Thanks for everyones help. It is definately Hemp Agrimony although mine seems to be a bit larger than the average size if it is only supposed to grow to about 5 ft.
Thanks to Denise and Polly who worked it out from my poor description and pics.

It could be Joe Pye Weed, which is an American form of our UK Hemp Agrimony family. This is sometimes grown in this country as a garden plant and it grows much taller than our one too.

Do a google and see if it is similar. Here is one link I found. http://www.seedsofknowledge.com/joe-pye-weed.html

Seems that more thanks are due. It is the American version of Hemp Agimony as I went to Bridgemere garden centre and they told me that it is Eupatorium Purpureium and it does grow taller than the UK version.

Being a clump forming perennial I am sure that you could dig up a bit of root in the spring and give it to your friend and the plant would be none the worse for it, it would soon grow back. Alternatively, if it is anything like hemp agrimony, it is really easy to take cuttings from.

I would say gather some seed and grow it on from that, but I have never had any luck with the seeds.

If your friend does find a garden centre which supplies it and does mail order I would be interested to know. It is a really beautiful plant, Dave.

I have Joe Pye weed on order and it should be here next week. I can't wait for summer!

What the dickens is Joe Pye weed , any photos?
Shirley

It is in Dave S' photograph album if you want to have a look at it.

Here's what N. American butterflies think of Joe Pye weed....