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Writer's pictureKimberly Simmen

Native Plant of the Week: False Sunflower

Family: Asteraceae


Name: Heliopsis helianthoides


Common Name: False Sunflower, Oxeye


Bloom Time: June-August


Flower: Yellow


Soil Condition: Dry-moist


Light: Sun, Partial sun


Height/Width: 3-5'/1-3'


Native Range: Central and Eastern North America


Zone: 3-9


Photos (KMS Native Plants): top row: flower bud, flower, closeup of the flower disc (center with 100s of flowers) and rays (petal flowers), middle row: habit, transverse banded drone fly (Eristalis transverse), two-spotted scoliid wasp (Scolia dubia), third row: sachem skipper (Atalopedes campestris)


False Sunflower is a sometimes short-lived perennial but it self-sows easily to create a haven for pollinators and a feast of seeds for songbirds. The flowers may be yellow, golden-yellow, or copper-yellow. Great mixed into a meadow, cottage garden, cutting garden, low maintenance garden, and a water-wise garden. It makes a great cut flower.

Maintenance: none necessary but it benefits from a cutback in the spring and deadheading during the season (remember to leave plenty for the songbirds)


Benefits: supports many pollinators and beneficial insects, specialist bee (ground nesting bee - Holcopasites heliopsis), songbirds eat the seeds, drought tolerant, clay soil tolerant, erosion control


Fun Facts: The disc and ray florets of the species are all fertile. Native Americans may have made tea from the leaves to cure various lung ailments and reduce fevers.


Noteworthy Cultivars: 'Burning Hearts' - yellow with red center, 'Bleeding Hearts' - dark foliage and flowers that start red, change to orange-red and then bronze


Companion Plants: Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot), Liatris spicata (blazing star), Elymus virginicus (Virginia wild rye), Vernonia noveboracensis (NY ironweed), Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England aster), Phlox paniculata (garden phlox)


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