Helenium flexuosum
An erect, clump-forming North American native perennial in the Asteraceae that grows in moist soils in full sun and blooms from August to October with showy yellow rays surrounding a brownish-purple central disk.
Common Names
Purple-Headed Sneezeweed, Purple Sneezeweed
Summary
Helenium flexuosum, Purple-headed sneezeweed, is a North American native perennial that forms clumps on a single, strongly winged stem and grows about 30–100 cm tall, with leaves that are glabrous or lightly hairy. It bears numerous flower heads in paniculiform arrays, with ray florets usually 8–13 in yellow and a globe-like purple-brown center disk formed by numerous disc florets, blooming from mid-summer to fall and attracting bees and butterflies. Culture favors full sun and moist to wet soils, tolerating acidic to neutral pH, and it is hardy in USDA zones 5–9; deer resistant and self-seeds readily. Maintenance includes deadheading spent blooms and cutting back in early summer to encourage branching; propagation by seed or division is possible, with divisions every 3–4 years recommended. Uses include native plantings, pollinator gardens, meadows, rain gardens, and cottage borders, with plantings often arranged in drifts for a naturalistic effect.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
12-36 inches
Spread
12-24 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 5a-9b
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full Sun, tolerates partial sun.
Soil Type
Moist, well-draining loamy soil with slightly acidic to neutral pH.
Soil Drainage
Moist but well-drained
Soil pH
6.0-7.0, Slightly acidic to neutral
Bloom Color
Yellow with purple centers
Bloom Time
Summer to Fall
Foliage Color
Green
Fall Foliage Color
Green
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Growth rate unknown
Seasons of Interest
Summer and Fall
Propagation Methods
Seeds and Division
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees, butterflies, and other pollinators
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Raf.
- Publication
- New Fl. iv. 81 (Quid ?).
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Asterales
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Subfamily
- Asteroideae
- Tribe
- Helenieae
- Subtribe
- Gaillardiinae
- Genus
- Helenium
Synonyms
Helenium floridanum Helenium nudiflorum f. nudiflorum Helenium brachypoda Heleniastrum parviflorum Heleniastrum nudiflorum Helenium nudiflorum var. nudiflorum Helenium godfreyi Helenium nudiflorum