Let’s put aside the strange and macabre name for a moment. Bonesets are tremendous flowers—tall, majestic, and an important food source for pollinators at the end of the growing season. Like another tall native Joe Pye Weed, Boneset grows 4-6′ and opens up nectar-filled umbrellas of flowers at the end of summer into fall. They are stunning from afar, but be sure to get up close to appreciate the intricate structures of their hundreds of tiny flowers. You can also hear them: listen for dozens of pollinators zipping around as you get close. Scroll on for planting tips.
Dig Deeper
Explore the history, types, and where to plant native Boneset
Table of Contents
Boneset is a native flower that has grown in North America for thousands of years. Its strange name comes from early beliefs that tea made from the plant could help ease pain. Thankfully, medicine has vastly improved. Today, we can enjoy these plants for their end-of-season blooms and leave the pain relief to medical professionals. In this article, we’ll discuss its name, share planting tips, and include some pairing suggestions.
Let’s dig in with the obvious question:
Why is it called Boneset?
Bonset’s unusual name comes from early beliefs that it could ease pain, especially in cases of “Breakbone Fever,” now known as Dengue Fever. Native Americans and early settlers used Boneset in herbal remedies to reduce fevers and promote healing, believing it could even help mend broken bones.
However, if you’re thinking about using it as a remedy, be aware: the U.S. Forest Service warns that Boneset can be emetic and laxative in large doses and may contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which are potentially harmful to the liver.
Many plant common names come from perceived medicinal values
Common names for plants are names given by earlier generations. Quite a few North American native plants have common names that reflect their long ago medicinal uses. Imagine being an early European settler in the lush landscape of North America, relying on Native American knowledge to identify plants for food and medicine. You can see why some plant names were chosen to help aid survival. Other native plants named for their perceived healing powers include:
If you’re interested in native plants that may already be in your medicine cabinet, visit our Beginner’s Guide to Coneflowers (aka Echinacea.)
One last story about its Latin name
There’s another layer to Boneset’s story, worthy of a Hollywood movie.
Its Latin genus name, Eupatorium, honors Mithridates VI Eupator, a 1st-century BCE king known for his wars against the Roman Republic and expertise in herbal medicine. Mithridates is said to have regularly ingested small amounts of poison to help build immunity. When Latin botanical naming was introduced in the 1700s, Eupatorium was chosen as the genus name to link to this mythical story. (There are about 60 plants in the Eupatorium genus, including another North American native: Joe Pye Weed.)
Now that we know the story about its names, let’s get to know the flower.
What are the benefits of planting native Boneset?
Bonesets, like native asters and goldenrods, are important native flowers because they bloom at the end of summer and into the fall when many other flowers have gone to seed.
Their flowers are crucial food for pollinators, including Monarch butterflies migrating back to Mexico. Planting Boneset ensures that bees, butterflies, and other pollinators have food before migration or hibernation.
Other benefits of planting native Boneset include:
- Boneset thrives in a wide range of light: from shade to sun.
- Late summer/fall flower-ers: at the end of the growing season, they cover themselves in flowers.
- Low maintenance: no fertilizer or special needs are required for native Boneset to thrive.
- Perennials: they will come back year after year. Once you plant them and they are happily established, you can enjoy them in your yard for years.
- Time savers: native Boneset saves time and money compared to lawncare. Once native Bonesets are established, all they need is rain to thrive.
Does it remind you of another plant? There are a few native flowers in the same genus. Here are some similar natives:
Native flowers similar to Boneset
There are a few other natives that look and behave similarly to Boneset, with different coloring and heights:
How to grow Boneset
There are a few things to note as you consider planting Boneset in your yard:
- Make sure Boneset gets consistent moisture. In nature, Boneset is found alongside waterways. Mimic this environment by putting them in areas alongside water or where water pools after rain.
- Give them space. Boneset will spread over the years and form a colony of plants. Plant them where they have space to spread out.
- They get tall—4-6’—as large as most human adults. Put them in the back of pollinator gardens surrounded by medium and short-height flowers.
However, even if your garden experiences short periods of drought, established Bonesets can survive. (The two-year-old Boneset in my PA garden has received zero watering and is still in full bloom, even with several weeks of no rain.)
Where is Boneset native?
Boneset is native to half of North America, from Nova Scotia to the Midwest United States.
Where can I find Boneset?
We are not going to lie and say that finding Boneset is going to be as simple as driving to your closest plant nursery. It might take a little extra energy to find this native gem, but it is worth it! Here are some recommendations for sourcing this native plant:
Where can I find seeds and plants?
Finding native plants can be challenging (we partly blame Marie Antoinette.) To make it easier, we’ve assembled four sourcing ideas.
Native Plant Nurseries
Our list of native nurseries makes finding one a breeze
Online Native Plant Sellers
We've included 100+ online resources to help
Society Plant Sales
Every state has a native plant society; find yours
Online Communities
Local Facebook groups are a great plant source
What are good pairings for Boneset?
Boneset likes consistent moisture (in nature, you’ll find it along streams, lakes, and ponds.) Pair with other natives that thrive in this environment, like Joe Pye Weed and Cardinal Flower.
And that sums up our beginner’s guide to native flower Boneset. Put aside the strange common name—or perhaps embrace it with a garden nametag. These stunning flowers open umbrellas of much-needed nectar and pollen at the end of the growing season, from late summer into fall. Because they are perennials, plant once and enjoy them for years. Happy planting!
Next steps and resources:
Read about other native plants linked to early American history:
Or go deeper into plant naming:
Explore native plants by region
Sources
- Drugs.com. “Boneset Uses, Benefits & Side Effects Herbal Database,” n.d. https://www.drugs.com/npc/boneset.html.
- Missouri Department of Conservation. “Thoroughworts (Bonesets),” n.d. https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/thoroughworts-bonesets.
- Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Eupatorium.” Encyclopedia Britannica, September 7, 2016. https://www.britannica.com/plant/Eupatorium.
- United States Department of Agriculture, Boneset Fact Sheet (PDF).
- Georgia Southern University. “Boneset | Facilities Services” January 3, 2020. https://www.georgiasouthern.edu/finops/facilities/landscape-services/arboretum/major-collections/physic-garden/boneset/.
- “Eupatorium Perfoliatum (American Boneset, Boneset, Bonset, Feverwort, Thoroughwort).” North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, n.d. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/eupatorium-perfoliatum/.
- Clayton, John. Virginia Native Plant Society. “Boneset – August 2016 Wildflower of the Month.” https://vnps.org/johnclayton/2016/09/13/boneset-august-2016-wildflower-of-the-month/.
- Wikipedia contributors. “Mithridates VI Eupator.” Wikipedia, July 26, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithridates_VI_Eupator.