Oxeye Sunflower – Heliopsis helianthoides
A 3 to 5 foot tall native perennial with an equally wide spread. It is great on a prairie or in a wild garden. In the border just be aware that you will need to give it space and consider removing the seed heads if you don’t want too many seedlings. The Branched stems have masses of sunflower-like heads. The petals as well as the cone-shaped center disk are yellow. The 2 inch flowers are nicer than “real” native sunflowers because the petals remain though out the summer and into fall where the sunflower petals fade as the seeds are produced. It tolerates both dry sandy soil and clay and needs little care other than to cut it back when it is done. You can do this in spring if you like the branching skeleton for winter interest. This multipurpose butterfly magnet is great for arrangements and doubles as a bird feeder.
$4.00