Plant
Hemp Agrimony
Eupatorium cannabinumAlso known as Hemp-Agrimony, Holy Rope, St. John's Herb, Water Agrimony
Hemp agrimony towers over damp ditches, riverbanks, and marshy meadows, bearing dense, frothy domes of dusty-pink flower heads from July to September. Its leaves are palmately divided into three to five lanceolate, serrated lobes that closely resemble cannabis foliage, though it belongs firmly to the daisy family. The nectar-rich blossoms act as a vital late-season banquet, attracting clouds of butterflies, hoverflies, and bumblebees.
WetlandPollinator MagnetWildflower
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyAutotroph (photosynthetic)
Predators
- Roe Deer
- Hemp Agrimony Plume Moth Caterpillars
- Slugs
ThreatsWetland drainage, waterway canalization, and agricultural herbicide runoff
HabitatsRiverbanks, fens, damp woodlands, marshes, and drainage ditches
Life spanPerennial (typically 5–15 years)
Classification
- FamilyAsteraceae
- SpeciesEupatorium cannabinum
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is high
- Contains toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids; do not ingest any plant tissues.
- Why it is dangerous
- Tissues contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids that cause cumulative liver damage and veno-occlusive disease if consumed.
- How to recognize a risky encounter
- Recognized by opposite leaves split into 3 to 5 serrated leaflets and domed clusters of pale pinkish-purple florets.
- What to do
- Refrain from ingesting wild preparations or foraging foliage; observing and photographing plants is completely safe.
Responsible observation
- Butterfly Watching: Inspect the blooming flower heads on warm, sunny afternoons to observe feeding butterflies and hoverflies.
- Habitat Placement: Plant in moist garden borders or rain gardens to establish a resilient, self-sustaining pollinator station.
Ecological Counterpart no rights reserved, uploaded by Étienne Lacroix-Carignan · cc0
Pollinator (c) S. Rae, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Pollinator (c) Gilles San Martin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Gilles San Martin · cc-by-sa
Frequent Visitor (c) Jose Gutierrez Higa, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Thomas Koffel, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Thomas Koffel · cc-by
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