Perennial sunflowers offer years of pleasure
When you hear the word sunflowers, the cheerful, familiar, large yellow blooms of the annual sunflowers come to mind (Helianthus annuus). These vibrant, happy flowers are annuals and are derived from seeds that were planted earlier in the season. You might not realize this, but these are not the only sunflowers that can brighten your garden. There is also a perennial sunflower that returns each year that are fantastic plants and worth learning more about and growing some. In recent years, several new varieties have been offered for sale and some of these are quite charming. They are native to the US and they will brighten any dull spot in your garden. You have probably seen them growing along a country road in late summer to mid-fall.
There are also other types of sunflowers, the true perennial sunflowers (Helianthus) and, false sunflowers (Heliopsis helianthoides). Both are wonderful in their native stage and there are some hybrid varieties that are worth growing too. The flower tends to be smaller in size than the annual ones but the quantity and beauty of blooms make up for the size. These are some of the finest late summer bloomers.
Perennial sunflowers range in height from 2 to 10 feet tall and they are drought tolerant and not fussy about their growing conditions. The dark green leaves create a striking contrast with the bright, radiant, mainly yellow flowers and they attract a variety of pollinators. I will mention a few of the ones I know or have grown but there are also others you might have encountered.
Swamp sunflowers are native perennials and can be found from NY to FL to TX. Swamp sunflower plants are a big, bright plant that share an affinity for the sunlight and as its name suggests, swamp sunflowers prefer moist soil and even thrive in clay-based or poorly drained soil. This makes swamp sunflowers an ideal choice for a wet area, including boggy sites that remain waterlogged for extended periods. They are large perennials that can grow up to 8 feet tall with showy yellow daisy-like flowers from mid to late summer into fall. You can prune these plants back in June to encourage branching or to have them smaller in height. They will tolerate part shade but flowers better in full sun. This plant is a favorite of pollinators and songbirds.
Another tall sunflower is the michaelmas-daisy or maximilian sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani) which grows to a height of 3-10 ft. Leaves are long and narrow, up to 10 inches near the bottom and as short as 2 inches near the top. They are coarse and hairy, slightly wavy on the edges, often folded lengthwise, slightly toothed and very pointed. The flower head is up to 5 inches across, with 15-19 ray flowers, deeply veined and slightly toothed on the tip. The center is 1 inch or more across, green to dark brown. These perennial plants can form large colonies as well as producing heavy crops of seeds which makes them a valuable plant for wildlife. It was named for the naturalist Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied, Germany, who led an expedition into the American West in the 1830s.
There are several others I have seen or grown that are charming plants which fit in smaller spaces. I cannot list them all but here are a few that are well worth growing to give your wonderful color in the late summer garden. These are much more manageable because of their size compared to the ones I mentioned above.
The perennial sunflower 'Tuscan Sun'might not be as dramatic but they are charming too. They are clump-forming perennials with a shrubby habit that produce flowers on sturdy stems above a nice green foliage. The blooms are smaller than annual sunflowers, but the quantity and beauty of blooms make up for the size. These are some of the finest late summer bloomers.
‘Lemon Queen’, (Helianthus), is big, beautiful and free flowering. It will light up the late summer garden covering itself with 3-inch yellow flowers. This one is tall and looks fantastic in the back of my perennial border. 'Lemon Queen' is a favorite selection of the naturally-occurring midwestern US. In the spring, Helianthus 'Lemon Queen' begins its climb to the skies and only stops when it reaches heights between 6' and 8' feet tall. In our garden, the sturdy stems are covered with 2" wide, soft, clear, lemon-yellow flowers in mid-August that continue for a long time. This clumping back-of-the-border sunflower is tolerant of either moist or very dry soils. This is a plant that will stand its ground. It can be quite large so do not plant it in the front of a border.
Heliopsis helianthoides ‘Bleeding Hearts’ is quite a lovely plant even though it defies the usual yellow color. It is a long blooming and has flowers that are spicy-red then turning to orange-red before turning to bronze colored. The blooms which are on handsome dark stems that mature to mango orange then toasty autumnal orange. It is a statuesque beauty for the back of the border, growing to about 4’ tall with dark purple foliage. ‘Bleeding Hearts’ produces a seemingly never-ending supply of flowers until October.
While the sunflowers are drought tolerant, they are happiest and healthiest when they get regular watering. If you want annual sunflowers, you plant seeds after the last chance of frost in the spring or early summer. It you decide to plant perennial sunflowers, people usually buy plants that you can plant in the fall or the spring and these, once established will give you years of pleasure.
Betty Montgomery is a master gardener and author of “Hydrangeas: How To Grow, Cultivate & Enjoy,” and “A Four-Season Southern Garden.” She can be reached at bmontgomery40@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Add perennial sunflowers to your garden.
