Native Plant - Late Boneset

An attractive flowering plant is growing in an unlikely spot at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge.  It came up as a volunteer is a small untended bed outside the FOH Center, which was at one time filled with rock and also more recently, a variety of weeds.  The plant is about 2-1/2 feet tall and has been in bloom since around the first of September, after bearing tight white buds for several weeks.  The photo shown was sent to Texas Master Naturalist Jim Varnum, who replied, “It is Boneset (Late boneset, White boneset).  Scientific name is Eupatorium serotinum.  Right now it's one of the most prolific bloomers just about everywhere,  Look at the flowers with a magnifier... they are cool.  Related: blue mistflower or blue ageratum is a common fall nectar plant for migrating Monarch butterflies.” (Other names found include Late-flowering thoroughwort and Late-flowering boneset.)

On NPIN we found several relatives of this perennial shrub in the Aster family, Ageratina wrightii, White mistflower, Wright's snakeroot, White boneset, White ageratum; Ageratina havanensis, Havana snakeroot, Mistflower, Shrubby boneset, White mistflower, White shrub mistflower, and Eupatorium perfoliatum, Common Boneset.

The bloom season is September - November and the plant is attractive to not only butterflies, but also birds and bees.