Helianthus pauciflorus - Showy Sunflower - 38 Plug Tray

Showy sunflower is an upright herbaceous perennial that boasts an impressive one to two month floral display of bright yellow sunflowers from summer to fall. It prefers full sun and dry, well-drained soil. It spreads quickly through rhizomes to form dense colonies and can easily overwhelm smaller planting areas. It also produces allelopathic chemicals which inhibit the growth of surrounding plants. In fact, these chemicals affect its own growth as well, sometimes leaving a dead zone in the middle of a colony, creating a “fairy ring” effect.

It has four to six foot tall, sparsely branching, hairy, reddish, rigid stems adorned with coarse, narrow, lance-shaped leaves that fold up lengthwise in times of extreme heat or drought. Its dazzling flowers are visited by several groups of bees, as well as flies, butterflies and skippers. The large and nutritious seeds that follow pollination are beloved by songbirds and gamebirds, as well as deer and many kinds of rodents. Moreover, the foliage of showy sunflower supports insects such as various beetles, grasshoppers, and moth and butterfly larvae. One species that uses it as a host, the gorgone checkerspot, is restricted to high quality dry prairie settings.