Sawtooth Sunflower
Helianthus grosseserratus
- Native to:
- United States
Eric Hunt
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Asteraceae
- Genus:
- Helianthus
- Species:
- Helianthus grosseserratus
- USDA Symbol:
- HEGR4
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 400 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- aug,sep,oct
- Bloom Colors:
- yellow
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
- Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:
- ★★★★★ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Dichomeris leuconotella, ⚠️Papaipema necopina (Papaipema necopina)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Black and (Bombus auricomus), Brown-belted bumble (Bombus griseocollis), Half-black bumble (Bombus vagans), Northern amber (Bombus borealis), Red-belted bumble (Bombus rufocinctus), 🛑Rusty-patched bumble (Bombus affinis), Southern plains bumble bee (Bombus fraternus), Two-spotted bumble (Bombus bimaculatus) Butterflies:⚠️Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, bees, butterflies, small mammals
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from rhizomes after fire. Benefits from periodic burning in prairie management.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- commonly found in prairies and wet meadows
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
- Germination Time:
- 10–21 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate readily after cold stratification. Light may improve germination rates.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI