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Recently Updated Plant Articles

Coastal Plain Joe Pye Weed

Coastal Plain Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium dubium)

Updated September 12th, 2024

A perennial of moist, sandy, acidic soils native to the coastal plain from New England south through South Carolina.

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Hollow Joe Pye Weed

Hollow Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium fistulosum)

Updated September 11th, 2024

A tall perennial of moist, rich, disturbed sites, native to the eastern U.S.; the tallest Eutrochium.

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Persian Silktree

Persian Silktree (Albizia julibrissin)

Updated August 28th, 2024

A small nitrogen-fixing tree native to the warmer parts of Asia. and planted as an ornamental in the US, where it has become invasive.

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Recently Updated Ecoregion Articles

a small river flowing through a landscape of coniferous woods interspersed with open areas and small lakes
North America » Taiga » Alaska Boreal Interior »

Yukon Flats

Updated September 24th, 2024

A bottomland area in east-central Alaska featuring meandering rivers, poor drainage, and an unusually cold, dry climate.

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aerial photo showing a large river with many islands and a smaller river, with forests, wetlands, and a city in the distance
North America » Taiga » Alaska Boreal Interior »

Interior Bottomlands

Updated September 18th, 2024

A low region in interior Alaska, featuring Fairbanks, and a mosaic of forests, open wetlands, and meandering rivers.

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Recently Updated ID / Comparison Guides (See All)

collage of Partridge Pea and Persian Silktree

Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) vs. Persian Silktree (Albizia julibrissin)

Updated September 16th, 2024

These two nitrogen-fixing legumes are frequently confused as seedlings. Both have compound leaves with leaflets of similar size and shape, and both are earlier colonizers of sunny, disturbed habitats. The robust, often reddish-colored stalk of partridge pea can lead it to be confused with a woody plant. Mature plants are wildly dissimilar, and young plants are easily distinguished by close examination of leaf structure.

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collage of Hollow Joe Pye Weed and Sweetscented Joe Pye Weed

Hollow Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium fistulosum) vs. Sweetscented Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum)

Updated September 11th, 2024

These species are frequently confused where their ranges overlap in the eastern and lower Midwestern U.S. Although they can occur relatively near each other on the same site, they have mostly non-overlapping habitat preferences. They can usually be distinguished by characteristics of their stem, and often also by their height, inflorescence shape, and number of leaves per whorl. E. purpureum ranges farther north and northwest, and occurs in drier, shadier, better-drained habitats. E. fistulosum ranges farther south and prefers moister, sunnier, more disturbed habitats, and is more tolerant of flooding and waterlogged soils.

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collage of Coastal Plain Joe Pye Weed and Hollow Joe Pye Weed

Coastal Plain Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium dubium) vs. Hollow Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium fistulosum)

Updated September 2nd, 2024

These plants are sometimes confused where their ranges overlap in southern New England through the Mid-Atlantic. They are easily distinguished by their stems and leaf vein pattern, and often also by height or number of leaves per whorl. E. dubium is slightly more tolerant of shade and drier conditions, prefers less-disturbed habitats, and is limited to acidic soil, mostly near the coast. E. fistulosum requires more nutrient-rich soil and sun, favors more disturbed areas, and is more common farther inland.

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