Showy Sunflower, Cheerful sunflower
Helianthus laetiflorus
Family: Asteraceae or Compositae
What it is like
Helianthus laetiflorus is a PERENNIAL growing to 2 m (6ft 7in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. It is in flower from August to October, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, flies. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 2
Where it is found
Open woods and thickets, often on drier soils.
Central N. America - Pennsylvania to Minnesota.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Tubers - raw or cooked. Used like Jerusalem artichokes, to which they are not much inferior in taste though yields are lower.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
How it is grown
Succeeds in most soils in a sunny position. Requires a rich soil. Dislikes shade. The young growth is extremely attractive to slugs, plants can be totally destroyed by them. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer or rabbits. A naturally occurring hybrid, H. pauciflorus (or H. rigidus in another report) x H. tuberosus. Plants have a running root system and can be very invasive. This species is often grown as an ornamental plant, there are several named varieties. The plant is heat tolerant in zones 9 through 5. (Plant Hardiness Zones show how well plants withstand cold winter temperatures. Plant Heat Zones show when plants would start suffering from the heat. The Plant Heat Zone map is based on the number of "heat days" experienced in a given area where the temperature climbs to over 86 degrees F (30°C). At this temperature, many plants begin to suffer physiological damage. Heat Zones range from 1 (no heat days) to 12 (210 or more heat days). For example Heat Zone. 11-1 indicates that the plant is heat tolerant in zones 11 through 1.) For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a runner spreading indefinitely by rhizomes or stolons. The root pattern is tuberous with swollen potato-like roots .
Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in spring or autumn. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring. Basal cuttings in spring. Harvest the shoots when they are about 10 - 15cm long with plenty of underground stem. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 4-8
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist