This plant gets it name because the leaves were used in setting bones by wrapping them in bandages around splints. Boneset tea, made from the dried leaves, was also used used for treating coughs and colds.

The plant contains eupatorin, a glycoside which acts as an emetic. The white flowers are in flat-topped clusters and the leaves completely surround the stem. The plant is found in wet soil and its fibrous root system helps to bind these soft soils together. The seeds are eaten by swamp sparrows and mallards.