Common Sneezeweed

Helenium autumnale

Common Sneezeweed

Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Asteraceae
Genus:
Helenium
Species:
Helenium autumnale

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Perennial
Growth Habit:
Forb/herb
Height:
4-6 ft
Light Requirements:
Full Sun
Drought Tolerance:
High
Bloom Months:
jul, aug, sep, oct
Bloom Colors:
Yellow

Native Range

United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming, Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan

Keystone Species Ranking

Bee Keystone:
★★★★☆ Based on number of native bee species using this genus for pollen and nectar (Source: National Wildlife Federation)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

blackberry looper (Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria), clearwing borer (Carmenta ithacae), Impecunious Borer Moth (Papaipema impecuniosa), Rigid Borer Moth (Papaipema rigida)

Reported Fauna Sightings

Bees: American bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus), American bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus), Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), Fernald cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus flavidus), Fernald cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus flavidus), Half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans), Half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans), Red-belted bumble bee (Bombus rufocinctus), Red-belted bumble bee (Bombus rufocinctus), Southern plains bumble bee (Bombus fraternus), Southern plains bumble bee (Bombus fraternus), Tri-colored bumble bee (Bombus ternarius), Tri-colored bumble bee (Bombus ternarius)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
rich, moist, well-drained loam
pH:
5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
tolerates poor drainage
Moisture:
consistently moist
Notes:
Prefers wet meadows and stream banks

Germination Information

Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).

Notes: Seeds require cold-moist stratification for optimal germination.

Source: OpenAI GPT-4o