PlantFiles: Dog Fennel
Eupatorium capillifolium

I love this plant. Years ago it showed up in my yard voluntarily and ever since it grew and grew and more seedlings every year everywhere. DG ID forum helped me to identify it. It makes quite a statement, because it grows very fast and tall (up to 7 feet) and looks gracious with it's fine soft leaves. I collect all the seedlings that pop up each year and plant them in containers. I also like the smell of the roots. If you don't want the seedlings, they are easily to pull out, but as a background plant in a nice flower bed, I would give it a chance.

This plant started showing up this year in my garden as a weed. I've been pulling it up when it's still small, but some have grown to about a foot & are more difficult to pull. They seem to love being in my landscape roses. Or maybe I don't get them when they're small in that bed since the roses have so many thorns.

It's not that hard to control... IF you mow land regularly. If not, it grows fast and gives you woody stems with feathery leaves and branches, and sort of a sticky feel to them...leave a stink on you (not acutely unpleasant, though I don't think I'd use it for incense) when you brush against them, more especially if you try to yank them up. You can get 6 foot stems in a few months in my climate if you don't mow. Roundup and such kill it nicely -- if you spray thoroughly; otherwise, especially in an established clump, enough root mass may survive to send up new stems. Digging up the whole clump in winter also works, but again it's easy to miss a bit. Mow, mow, mow and the grass might even choke it out for you; leave it alone and you soon get a patch of ground that's hard to walk through. Colonizes any bare spot, neglected pot with a plant in it, garden bed, you name it.

I find that this plant which grew of its own accord is sort of pretty to look at.
In my zone7a it does not appear to be invasive, but the plants that are here have strong persistant roots that will thrive even if tilled.
I like the impressive size and am glad to finally have identified it through the identification forum on Davesgarden.

i understand that it is a noxious weed and invasive, however, i let a big stand of it grow in the fork of my driveway just to see what it would do. it's now september and it's 7' tall and quite dramatic. it has a breezy, lacy look and when it's done doing it's thing, we can mow it down. we certainly have not watered or fed or done anything to it and never will! debi

An interesting plant. Seems to invade borders between wooded areas and open fields. Here it is easily controlled by cultivation or mowing. A stand of it is quite showy at first frost, makes it look like a dusting of snow,

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! Dog Fennel with take over your yard, your pasture, your neighbor's yard and the field down the street! Extremely hard to get rid of and spreads rapidly - and nothing seems to eat it.