Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Asteraceae
- Genus:
- Helianthus
- Species:
- Helianthus annuus
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 8-12 ft
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- jul, sep
- Bloom Colors:
- yellow
- Food Forest:
- Plant contains edible parts
Native Range
United States: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming, Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★☆☆☆
Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)
- Bee Keystone:
- ★☆☆☆☆
Based on number of native bee species using this genus for pollen and nectar (Source: National Wildlife Federation)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
American sunflower moth (Homoeosoma electella), American sunflower moth (Homoeosoma electellum), Armyworm moth (Pseudaletia unipuncta), beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua), Bucculatrix longula, Bucculatrix simulans, Common Pinkband (Ogdoconta cinereola), corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea), darksided cutworm (Euxoa messoria), dingy cutworm (Feltia jaculifera), European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis), Euxoa albipennis, Euxoa ochrogaster, Grammia arge, host moth (Phtheochroa hospes), Isabella tiger moth (Pyrrharctia isabella), Isophrictis similiella, muscosa sphinx (Manduca muscosa), Obliquebanded leafroller (Choristoneura rosaceana), Pelochrista rorana, Pelochrista womonana, Plagiomimicus spumosum, Rachiplusia ou, Rustic Sphinx (Manduca rustica), Scrobipalpula artemisiella, Southern armyworm (Spodoptera eridania), southern emerald (Synchlora frondaria), Soybean Looper (Pseudoplusia includens), Suleima baracana, Suleima daracana, sunflower bud moth (Suleima helianthana), Tobacco budworm (Heliothis virescens), Variegated cutworm (Peridroma saucia), Virginia Tiger Moth (Spilosoma virginica), Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia), Charidryas gorgone, orange oakleaf (Charidryas nycteis)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: American bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus), American bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus), Black and gold bumble bee (Bombus auricomus), Black and gold bumble bee (Bombus auricomus), Bombus spec (Bombus spec), Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), Central bumble bee (Bombus centralis), Central bumble bee (Bombus centralis), Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), Confusing bumble bee (Bombus perplexus), Confusing bumble bee (Bombus perplexus), Half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans), Half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans), Hunt's bumble bee (Bombus huntii), Hunt's bumble bee (Bombus huntii), Morrison bumble bee (Bombus morrisoni), Morrison bumble bee (Bombus morrisoni), Nevada bumble bee (Bombus nevadensis), Nevada bumble bee (Bombus nevadensis), 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), Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius), Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius), Two-spotted bumble bee (Bombus bimaculatus), Two-spotted bumble bee (Bombus bimaculatus), van Dyke bumble bee (Bombus vandykei), van Dyke bumble bee (Bombus vandykei), Western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis), Western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis), White-shouldered bumble bee (Bombus appositus), White-shouldered bumble bee (Bombus appositus), Yellow bumble bee (Bombus fervidus), Yellow bumble bee (Bombus fervidus), Yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii), Yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii)
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- thrives in sunny, open areas
Germination Information
Pre-treatment: Seeds were plated on 1.5% agar in petri dishes and incubated in growth chambers with six temperature treatments intended to represent different seed sowing times and locations in the Colorado Plateau
Establishment: Viable seeds from wild-collected seed from Garfield County, Colorado germinated to only 40% or less in all three treatments that imposed 12 weeks of winter conditions. Treatments without winter conditions had even lower germination (0-15%).
Source: npn.rngr.net
