Bloomipedia
Tall boneset (Eupatorium altissimum)
Photo: Peter Chen 2.0 via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Tall boneset

Eupatorium altissimum

Native to Kansas

Tall boneset is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

31states
377KS sightings*
5,584U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Kansas

Quick look

Eupatorium altissimum, with the common names tall thoroughwort and tall boneset, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Asteraceae family with a native range including much of the eastern and central United States and Canada. It is a tall plant found in open woods, prairies, fields, and waste areas, with white flowers that bloom in the late summer and fall.

  • 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 31 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Kansas. NatureServe
  • iNaturalist has 377 research-grade sightings of it in Kansas, ranking #67 among the 109 flowers on our Kansas list. iNaturalist

Tall boneset gift ideas

Handmade tall boneset gifts from independent makers.

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (274 records)

There are only a handful of Kansas flowering records, so this chart uses records from across the U.S.

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed Not listed under the Endangered Species Act. USFWS ECOS does track it with the label “Resolved Taxon,” which is informal and gives no legal protection. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Kansas
No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: S5, secure in Kansas.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: SC (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

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

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. 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 tall boneset in 31 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Kansas counties with USDA records: Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Barber, Bourbon, Brown, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Coffey, Cowley, Crawford, Doniphan, Douglas, Elk, Franklin, Geary, Greenwood, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Labette, Leavenworth, Linn, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, Miami, Montgomery, Morris, Nemaha, Neosho, Osage, Pottawatomie, Republic, Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Sumner, Wabaunsee, Washington, Wilson, Woodson, Wyandotte.

More Kansas flowers

Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Common yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in KS
White snakeroot (Ageratina altissima)

White snakeroot

Ageratina altissima

Native

🌼 Blooms in KS: August–October
Sunflowers (Helianthus)

Sunflowers

Helianthus

★ KS state flower

🌼 Blooms in KS: July–October

Sources