Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Asteraceae

Genus:

Helenium

Species:

Helenium autumnale

USDA Symbol:

HEAU

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Forb/herb

Height:

150 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

Low

Bloom Months:

aug,sep,oct

Bloom Colors:

yellow, red, orange, brown

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)

Butterflies & Moths:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)

Caterpillars:

★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)

Keystone Species Ranking

Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:

★★☆☆☆ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Reported Fauna Sightings

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

bees, butterflies, birds

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts from crown after fire; common in fire-maintained wet prairies and meadows.

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

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days

Germination Time:

7–21 days

Notes:

Seeds require light for germination; surface sow and do not cover.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI