Joe Pye

History

Joe Pye Weed is native to the eastern North America. It prefers to grow in swamps and wet, marshy areas. It is often found as water and soil meet where it serves as a sort of erosion control. The roots often contain nodes which resemble calcifications. This is symbolic of the plant’s ability to break up calcifications in the body. There are over 40 varieties, however, not all are used medicinally. Large purplish- pink domed clusters of small tubular flowers bloom from July to late fall and sit on top of dark green stems that grow anywhere from 5-6 feet and sometimes even reach as tall as 12 feet. The leaves are rough to touch and whorled. There are four to seven leaves per node. The e. purpureum species has a scent of vanilla. Joe Pye Weed is said to have been introduced to the early colonists by a Native American medicine man named Joe Pye or Jopi who used the plant to successfully treat typhoid fever. Traditionally, Joe Pye Weed was valued not only as a great diuretic and mineral solvent but also as an herb for the condition of putrification. This is evident by its use for typhoid fever. However, Matthew Wood describes in his book, The Earthwise Herbal, how he has seen it help with abscessing of the peritoneal tissue of Crohn’s disease (Woods 2009). King’s American Dispensatory of 1898 states that “It is a fairly good remedy in some forms of dyspepsia and chronic mucus diseases of the gastro-intestinal tract.” This gives us an indication that even in the late 19th century there was an understanding of its usefulness in treating conditions of the gastro-intestinal tract and perhaps diseases related to the peritoneal tissue. It is evident that this plant was valued in the early establishment of the United States as it has been noted in literature that early colonists grew this plant in their medicinal gardens. Additionally, it was listed in the US Pharmacopoeia from 1820 to 1842. As I went on an evening walk the other night I plucked some Joe Pye Weed blossoms. The taste was pungent, warming, and bitter. I sensed its dispersing qualities as a warming sensation permeated my mouth and a sense of being grounded came upon me. This reminds me of how we feel grounded when our kidneys are strong and robust. A wonderful gift from this beautiful plant