Helianthus angustifolius
My husband Wade runs a garden care enterprise and his purchasers who’re lively in backyard golf equipment and captivated with perennial backyard design usually share begins with him.
One in all my absolute favorites is the swamp sunflower he obtained this fashion. This was, I don’t know, 15 years in the past?
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Since its arrival, the Helianthus angustifolius has been thriving in a tiny mattress beneath a downspout that’s all the time moist and typically a bit soggy.
It has reseeded alongside a close-by fence we share with a neighbor, the place in early fall it’s eight or 9 toes tall and creates a privateness fence.
Wade has additionally grown the divisions in a half-barrel-size container some years, and we all the time have seeds and divisions to share with our gardening mates.
It’s not the one sunflower I develop. I’m a giant fan of the annual varieties, the H. annuum sorts that present birds seed and should have extra-large blooms.
However for a low-maintenance perennial that may develop in moist situations, blooms within the fall, and may face up to clay or sandy soil and occasional drought, I don’t assume you may beat the swamp sunflower.
If this seems like a plant you may get pleasure from in your personal house, I’m right here to share extra about its development habits and endearing qualities. Right here’s what I’ll cowl:
What Are Swamp Sunflowers?
Swamp sunflowers are native to the jap United States.
A part of the aster household, this is without doubt one of the perennial sunflowers that isn’t as broadly grown because the larger-bloomed, seed-heavy, annual varieties, H. annuum.
You may discover extra about rising and caring for annual sunflowers in our information.
Native sunflowers corresponding to H. angustifolius had been cultivated by indigenous tribes all through North America beginning about 3,000 BCE. The traditional tribes generally used these crops for meals, medication, dye, and paint.
These crops could have been domesticated even earlier than corn. As of late, the flowers develop all through the US, thriving in floodplains, bogs, ponds, and better floor from New York to the coastal south and on over to Texas and Arizona.
Swamp sunflowers are also called “narrow-leaf sunflowers” because of the uncommon form of their darkish inexperienced, tough foliage.
The leaves are a fairly panorama ingredient on their very own, lush and inexperienced, they usually present visible curiosity beginning in early spring and persevering with till the crops die again in late autumn.
The plant spreads by way of rhizomes, usually protecting as much as 4 toes in a single season. In hotter areas, the crops will return every year, and they’re additionally self-seeding.
The stems often attain 5 to eight toes tall, relying on the variability, however some could soar to 10 toes or extra. The crops bloom in late summer time and proceed for 45 to 60 days, so they supply a supply of shade within the fall backyard, too.
They’re pollinator magnets for numerous bugs, and their foliage attracts the larvae of checkerspot butterflies (Chlosynes spp.).
Songbirds are additionally interested in the meaty seeds – although they’re not massive sufficient to be worthwhile for human consumption.
The swamp sunflower grows in situations that thwart most different perennial flowers, together with coastal salt air, sandy soil, and moist situations. If you happen to’re fascinated by gaining all these benefits, extra rising data is coming.
Propagation
The best approach to propagate a swamp sunflower is from divisions. If in case you have a supply, hurray!
Learn to divide perennials in our information. Doing this within the fall after blooming is preferable, or in early spring as soon as the guardian plant is a number of inches tall.
You may additionally have the ability to discover divisions to buy from a neighborhood native plant nursery.
Transplant into the backyard instantly, setting every division right into a gap the identical measurement because the pot it got here in or deep sufficient in order that the rhizome is roofed and the crown is at soil stage.
Backfill with backyard soil and water in effectively.
You’ll need to maintain the soil moist for the primary two months. After they’re established, they’ll be okay in case your space experiences occasional dry spells, although these crops develop finest with constant moisture.
You may also sow seeds both indoors or straight into the backyard.
Plant them indoors about 4 weeks earlier than your space’s final frost utilizing a sterile potting combine and a shallow tray or particular person cells.
Press the seeds into the floor with out burying them, spacing them two per cell or about 4 inches aside.
Maintain them moist and in a room temperature space, and they need to sprout inside seven to 12 days.
Place the sprouts on a sunny windowsill or about eight inches beneath a develop gentle, and maintain the soil moist till the crops have no less than two units of true leaves.
As soon as the specter of frost has handed, spend every week or so hardening off the seedlings earlier than transplanting them outside.
To sow the seeds straight outside, press them into the soil floor and canopy them with solely a fantastic dusting of soil. They want gentle to germinate.
Maintain them moist till they sprout, and as soon as the seedlings have two or three units of true leaves, skinny them to face no less than 12 inches aside.
I’ll admit that I don’t fear concerning the spacing when my crops self-seed, however I’ll pull a number of of the crops if they begin rising so shut collectively that they don’t get sufficient water and begin wilting.
When you’ve bought the crops in place, swamp sunflowers are comparatively carefree. Maintain studying for extra tips about rising these native perennials.
Learn how to Develop
The entire level of rising a plant with a reputation like “swamp sunflower” is to have fairly blooms in a usually inhospitable spot.
So please do plant these sunny flowers in a spot with poorly draining soil.
You may develop them in well-draining soil, they usually’ll admittedly be happiest there, however they will additionally deal with half clay with poor drainage. Satirically, they’ll additionally do fantastic in sandy soil.
As for the solar, they’ll do finest in full solar, six to eight hours per day. But when that soggy spot you’re seeking to fill solely affords partial solar or half shade publicity, they’ll make do.
You may put together the soil by including composted manure or different aged natural materials forward of time, working a two-inch layer into the highest 4 or 5 inches of soil. However for those who’re not inclined to go to that a lot bother, this plant will thrive anyhow.
You’ll want to give the crops ample house. They’ll unfold as a lot as 4 toes large, so allow them to have room to keep away from powdery mildew.
As for water, effectively, that’s a necessity. If rain doesn’t present an inch or so per week through the rising season, you need to complement with water from a hose or watering can, being cautious to water on the soil floor, not from above the leaves.
As soon as the crops are established and a few months outdated, they will even face up to a interval of drought. As I mentioned, they’re very straightforward to take care of.
Rising Ideas
- Plant in full solar if attainable, or half shade.
- Permit no less than 12 inches between crops to allow them to unfold.
- Maintain soil moist till crops are established and may deal with drier situations.
Pruning and Upkeep
These crops don’t want mulch or fertilizer, however I like to recommend one upkeep step: Pruning.
If you happen to pinch the stems again to about half their top in midsummer, earlier than they’ve began budding, they’ll be fuller, extra bushy, and gained’t look as scraggly once they bloom.
If you happen to miss the chance although, don’t fret. They’ll nonetheless look interesting with gangly, 10-foot swathes of yellow blooms bending over the soggy patch in your native planting space or border.
The place to Purchase
I fervently hope you’ve got a good friend with swamp sunflowers to acquire saved seeds or a division or two with out trouble.
You might be able to discover a division at a local plant nursery in your space too, or maybe by way of a neighborhood gardener’s group.
It’s additionally attainable to seek out seeds on-line. One stable choice is the swamp sunflowers accessible from Chuxay Backyard by way of Amazon in 100-seed packets.
Managing Pests and Illness
Fortunately, this native perennial doesn’t incur as many pests and ailments as its H. annuum family members prized for his or her seeds.
The sunflower midges that plague the big seed heads gained’t strike the extra modest blooms, for instance.
Deer and rabbits could munch on the leaves, however provided that they don’t have extra interesting choices within the spring and summer time backyard. And for the reason that seeds are smaller and fewer plentiful, squirrels gained’t often strike both.
As for insect pests, some caterpillars and beetles would possibly gnaw on the leaves, however they gained’t maintain the crops from blooming later.
If you happen to like, you may take measures to spray the foliage, however I choose to let the crops develop on since insect pests don’t do an excessive amount of injury, and numerous pesticides can damage the pollinators that rely upon crops like swamp sunflowers.
There’s a likelihood these moisture-loving crops will undergo ailments together with powdery mildew, rust, or fungal leaf spots.
Right here, too, the injury is ordinarily minor, and the crops can thrive with out intervention. If the looks bothers you although, it’s possible you’ll need to strive an natural fungicide corresponding to copper.
For extra tips about dealing with darkling beetles, sunflower beetles, thistle caterpillars, and wireworms, see our information to sunflower pests.
Finest Makes use of
Whereas they don’t yield mass portions of seed to roast or save for the birds like annual sunflowers, H. angustifolius is extremely fascinating in lots of backyard conditions.
First, they’re ideally suited for a swampy spot, just like the dust on the backside of a downspout or an space close to a pond.
They’re beautiful in native plantings, the place their enchantment to pollinators may even assist all the ecosystem thrive.
Additionally they look good behind borders, particularly in a fall-blooming perennial backyard, the place they’ll present shade lengthy after summer time annuals have stopped flowering.
And don’t overlook that they’re a superb choice for coastal gardens since they will maintain some salt air.
Final however not least, they’re a fantastic alternative for the flower gardener who doesn’t need to fuss.
Not solely are they straightforward to take care of, they readily self-seed, and the rhizomes will sometimes resprout every year as effectively.
Fast Reference Rising Information
| Plant Sort: | Flowering herbaceous perennial | Flower/Foliage Colour: | Yellow/emerald inexperienced |
| Native to: | Japanese United States | Upkeep: | Low |
| Hardiness (USDA Zones): | 4a-9a | Tolerance: | Clay, drought, half shade, salt air, sandy soil, moist soil |
| Bloom Time: | Late summer time, fall | Soil Sort: | Common |
| Publicity: | Full solar | Soil pH: | 5.0-7.5 |
| Time to Maturity: | 100-150 days | Soil Drainage: | Nicely-draining |
| Spacing: | 12-48 inches | Attracts: | Bees and different flying pollinators, birds |
| Planting Depth: | Pressed into soil floor (seeds); even with soil floor (divisions) | Companion Planting: | Different fall-blooming perennials like asters |
| Peak: | 4-10 toes | Keep away from Planting With: | Annuals, crops that compete for water |
| Unfold: | 2-4 toes | Makes use of: | Again of borders, coastal gardens, native plantings, half shade areas, pollinator gardens |
| Progress Charge: | Average | Household: | Asteraceae |
| Water Wants: | Average | Genus: | Helianthus |
| Frequent Pests and Illness: | Aphids, darkling beetles, sunflower beetles, thistle caterpillars, wireworms; leaf spot, powdery mildew, rust | Species: | Angustifolius |
Swamped with Perennial Sunflowers
I’m keen on the cheerful look of sunflowers.
I’m glad this selection affords an choice for gardeners who develop in sandy soil or coastal areas – or who need the convenience of a plant that may return season after season.
Do you’ve got expertise with this easy-care native perennial? We’d love your enter or to help together with your questions within the feedback part beneath.
And for extra useful data on rising all sorts of sunflowers in your backyard or panorama, learn these guides subsequent:
