this plant is called queen of the meadow or joe pye weed.
joe pye grows to 3-5 feet tall.
it grows on the edges of woods were there is alot of well drained moist areas.
in late june it starts to get a white flower on top...really pretty flower.
joe pye can sometimes grow in clumps of several plants,,,,,and a spade may be the best tool to dig with.
dig in a circle around the plant about a foot away from the stem....you want to try to get all the root that you can and digging to close may result in chopping some of the root off.
roots vary in size...some small some large...depends on the age of the plant.
when washing the root, use cool water and a plastic tote.
keep a 16 penny nail and a pair of wire cutters handy...........cut all the green stem away from the root.........then while washing...you may need that nail to help dig away the dirt from the root because it can sometime become quite gnarled.
make sure to remove any grass roots, rocks..etc...if your product is dirty..it will be refused.
in dryring the root lay on screens to promote circulation...it dries fairly quick.
store in paper sacks
joe pye is used as a form of gentle asprin, anti inflammatory and a sedative.
