Helenium Species, Sneezeweed, Helen's Flower, Dogtooth Daisy

Fantastic summer flowers, especially the hybrids. Especially valuable for getting colors other than yellow in the late summer garden.
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Heleniums need consistently moist soils. They are wet soil plants in the wild and are less tolerant of drought than most border plants. Drought stress contributes to their proneness to powdery mildew.

Most cultivars get tall enough to topple over. This can be mitigated by pinching the growing tips towards the end of May. Alternatively, you can cut them back hard later, in midsummer, as hard as 12". You can pinch most stems in May and later give a hard cut to the stems towards the front of the clump, which will help prolong the bloom season and cover the often leafless legs.

Divide in early spring as needed.

Becoming more commonly planted in gardens - I just saw a wild patch at O'Brien State Park in Minnesota - it is a single plant that was so...Read Moremewhat beaten up because it was on the edge of a path - it is growing in some grasses near a stream which means that it like wet areas. Can be id by its 3 dents in each petals - not too many other daisies have that.

I grew these from seed started as transplants this spring, and I'm amazed at how large and lovely they are blooming in their first year! ...Read MoreThey take over at just about the time rudbeckia are fading fast.

Can be grown in any fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun. They flower over a long period and are wonderful as cut flowers....Read Morer />
May cause severe discomfort if ingested and contact with foliage may aggravate skin allergies.