Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Herbaceous Perennial

Helianthus × laetiflorus

showy sunflower

A rhizomatous, clump-forming perennial to 2m tall with dark green, narrowly-ovate and toothed leaves. Bright yellow flowerheads with dark centres,10-12cm in diameter, are borne from late summer into autumn

Other common names

perennial sunflower
prairie sunflower
see morerough-leaved sunflower
stiff sunflower

Synonyms

Helianthus scaberrimus
Helianthus rigidus misapplied

Save to My plants

Buy this plant

Plant nurseries
3 suppliers

Ultimate height

1.5–2.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

1–1.5 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Asteraceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Helianthus can be tall, erect annuals, tuberous or rhizomatous perennials, with coarse simple leaves and large daisy-like flower-heads
Name status: Correct

How to grow

Cultivation

Requires a moderately fertile, moist but well-drained, alkaline to neutral soil in full sun

Propagation

Propagate by seed or division. Divide established clumps every 2-4 years to both increase plants and retain vigour. See sowing seeds indoors for further advice

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Wildlife gardens
Cut flowers
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Cut back old stems after flowering as they die down for the winter

Pests

Susceptible to slugs

Diseases

Powdery mildews and sclerotinia diseases may be a problem

Love gardening

View our Privacy Policy

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.