Bloomipedia
Dogfennel (Eupatorium capillifolium)
Photo: Elizabeth Axley via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Dogfennel

Eupatorium capillifolium

Dogfennel (Eupatorium capillifolium) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly October–November across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Dogfennel is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 8 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in October–November.

21states where USDA records it
8Bloomipedia state lists include it
21,199U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina

Quick look

Eupatorium capillifolium, or dog fennel, is a North American perennial herbaceous plant in the family Asteraceae, native to the eastern and south-central United States. It is generally between 50 cm and 2 meters tall with several stems that fork from a substantial base. The stems and base are covered in leaves so dissected that they resemble branching green threads coming out of the stem in fractal patterns.

  • It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 21 states. USDA PLANTS
  • In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in October–December. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 4,918 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #38 among the 151 flowers on our Florida list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 3,583 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #39 among the 192 flowers on our North Carolina list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,701 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #18 among the 183 flowers on our Georgia list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (339 records)
Bloom time in the 8 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
FloridaNativeOctober–December4,918
North CarolinaNativefew records (20)3,583
GeorgiaNativefew records (42)2,701
South CarolinaNativefew records (14)1,477
AlabamaNativefew records (32)1,404
LouisianaNativefew records (18)1,063
MississippiNativeOctober–November577
DelawareNativefew records (7)409

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
State rare plant lists
Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 4 of our 8 states.
See each state
Florida
Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: S5, secure in Florida. FAC 5B-40.0055
North Carolina
Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: S5, secure in North Carolina. 02 NCAC 48F .0301
Georgia
Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Georgia. Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09
Delaware
Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). NatureServe: S5, secure in Delaware. DE rare plants 2024
South Carolina
No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in South Carolina.
Alabama
No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alabama.
Louisiana
No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Louisiana.
Mississippi
No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Mississippi.
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleCaution: partly edible, partly poisonous

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: medium). Poisonous parts: bark, fruits, leaves, roots, stems. Symptoms they list: “Contains liver-damaging alkaloids. Do not consume the plant.” They also note: “toxic” NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records dogfennel in 21 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia.

Florida counties with USDA records: Alachua, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Jackson, Jefferson, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, Washington.

North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alamance, Alexander, Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Catawba, Chatham, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Dare, Davidson, Davie, Duplin, Durham, Edgecombe, Franklin, Gaston, Gates, Granville, Greene, Guilford, Halifax, Harnett, Hertford, Hoke, Hyde, Iredell, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Lincoln, Martin, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Nash, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Pitt, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Rockingham, Rowan, Sampson, Scotland, Stanly, Transylvania, Tyrrell, Union, Vance, Wake, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wilson, Yancey.

Georgia counties with USDA records: Baker, Barrow, Bartow, Camden, Chatham, Clarke, Colquitt, Dawson, Dougherty, Elbert, Fulton, Glynn, Grady, Greene, Hall, Harris, Irwin, Jones, Lanier, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, Mitchell, Morgan, Thomas, Tift, Worth.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 418 counties across 16 states; the most are in North Carolina (65), Louisiana (60), Mississippi (60).

Other Eupatorium on Bloomipedia (3): Late boneset, Common boneset, Tall boneset.

More from the Asteraceae family (212 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common yarrow, Goldenrods, White snakeroot, Sunflowers, Chicory, Black-eyed Susan, Bull thistle, Common dandelion.

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Sources