Fragrant Snakeroot

Ageratina herbacea is recognized by the distinctive color of its usually yellow-green, sometimes grayish, leaves, granular-puberulent involucres (with minute, thickened, eglandular hairs), and woody rhizomes.

Perennials or subshrubs, (20–)30–60(–80) cm (woody crowns and woody rhizomes). Stems erect (brittle), minutely puberulent. Leaves opposite; petioles 10–25 mm; blades triangular to lanceolate-ovate or ovate, 2–5(–7) × 1.5–3.5(–4.5) cm, bases truncate to shallowly cordate, margins dentate to serrate-dentate, abaxial faces sparsely hispidulous to glabrate, eglandular. Heads clustered. Peduncles 4–15 mm, puberulent. Involucres 4–5 mm. Phyllaries: apices acute, abaxial faces granular-puberulent. Corollas white, glabrous. Cypselae finely strigose-hispidulous. 2n = 34.

Eupatorium ageratifolium de Candolle var. herbaceum A. Gray, Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 5(6): 74. 1853; E. herbaceum (A. Gray) Greene