Sunflower
Helianthus × glaucus
- Native to:
- United States
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Asteraceae
- Genus:
- Helianthus
- Species:
- Helianthus × glaucus
- USDA Symbol:
- HEGL10
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 200 cm
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- aug,sep,oct
- Bloom Colors:
- yellow
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
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)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, bees, butterflies
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from rhizomes following fire, typical of prairie Helianthus species.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate readily after cold stratification. Light may improve germination rates.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI