prairie sunflower
Helianthus petiolaris
USDA zones3 to 8
SunNeeds full sun (6+ hours)
Sizeup to 6 feet tall
- Habit
- Herb
- Bloom season
- Summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- Yellow
- Soil types
- Sand
Garden uses
Notes
Prairie sunflower (Helianthus petiolaris) is an annual for meadow plantings. Frost will kill it, so set it out only after the last frost in spring. This plant likes full sun and sandy soil. It grows 3 to 6 feet tall on many-branched, erect stems with dark green leaves. The yellow rays surround red-purple centers, and the seeds attract birds.
Pairs well with Showy milkweed, Rubenza cosmos, and Queeny Lemon Peach zinnia.
Native range
AR, AZ, CA, CO, and 39 more places. See all 43
AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, MA, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY; AB, BC, MB, and SK.