Helenium (Helenium spp.)

Helenium Plant Features

Add some much-needed late summer color to your garden with helenium. This sun-loving, easy care North American native perennial is a cinch to grow and will flower reliably year after year. Occasionally called sneezeweed, helenium does not cause hay fever, but happens to bloom about the same time as wild ragweed which is the main pollen source for hay fever sufferers. Helenium grows 3 to 4 feet tall and produces pretty orange, red, yellow or bi-colored flowers that look great in the garden and in fresh-cut bouquets. Birds and butterflies also enjoy helenium for its late-season bounty of pollen and nectar. Helenium is drought and disease resistant, as well as deer resistant. Hardy from zones 3-8.

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Plant helenium in a sunny spot that receives at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight a day. The plants are not fussy about soil type and can tolerate periods of drought. Divide the plants every few years in the early spring as they break dormancy in the spring.

Helenium is not intended for human or animal consumption.

Water

Low water needs
Light

Outside: Sun
Colors

Orange

Red

Yellow
Special Features

Attracts butterflies

Attracts hummingbirds

Super-easy to grow

Complement your Plant

Black-Eyed Susan

The yellow flowers of Black-eyed Susan and fiery red and orange blooms of Helenium pack a colorful punch in the border.

Blanket Flower

Blanket flower and Helenium share the same cultural needs and can tolerate dry soil.

Coneflower

Coneflower and Helenium are two prairie natives that grow together naturally.

Our favorite varieties

Dakota Gold

Helenium amarum 'Dakota Gold'

Dakota Gold is an annual wildflower native to areas Texas that shows off golden-yellow flowers from late spring to early autumn. It grows 8 inches tall and 12 inches wide.

Mardi Gras

Helenium 'Mardi Gras'

This colorful North American wildflower shows off festive blooms in shades of yellow, orange, red, and bronze -- all on the same plant! It grows 42 inches tall and 36 inches wide. Zones 4-8

Ruby Tuesday

Helenium 'Ruby Tuesday'

Ruby Tuesday is a butterfly-attracting native wildflower that shows off clusters of rich red flowers from late summer to early autumn. It grows 30 inches tall and 24 inches wide. Zones 4-8

Mariachi Salsa

Helenium autumnale 'Mariachi Salsa'

Compact and floriferous, you'll love Mariachi Salsa helenium's display of reddish-orange flowers from midsummer through fall. It's a favorite of migrating butterflies! It grows 20 inches tall and wide. Zones 3-9

Mariachi Siesta

Helenium autumnale 'Mariachi Siesta'

Mariachi Siesta heleniums bold red-purple flowers are a garden delight from the time they appear in midsummer all the way through fall. This easy-care beauty grows 20 inches tall and wide. Zones 3-9

Short and Sassy

Helenium autumnale 'Short and Sassy'

Short and Sassy helenium lives up to its name! This compact cultivar grows only 20 inches tall and wide, yet sports tons of golden-orange flowers in summer and fall. Zones 4-8