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Swamp Sunflower

Helianthus angustifolius

Other common name(s):

Narrowleaf Sunflower, Narrow-leaved Sunflower

Family:

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Lower Rio Grande Valley, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

3
to
6
ft.

Spread

0.5
to
1
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Moist

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

High

Native Habitat

Wetland or Riparian

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Yellow

Bloom Season

Fall

Seasonal Interest

Seeds, Nectar, Larval Host

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies, Birds

Maintenance

Low maintenance. Good plant for the back of boggy and marshy gardens. It can form large clusters and spreads by rhizomes. Needs water. Can be gangly, plant in back of beds. Consider using it where you won’t mind seeing spent stems and flowers after a bloom. Stems can be pinched back in late spring or early summer to encourage shorter, bushier growth and more blooms. Divide plants for using elsewhere. Propagation: Seed, root division.

Comments

Blooms August-November. A tall; up to 5 ft. showy short-lived perennial is well suited to wetlands. The flower heads are large, up to 3-in. The golden yellow outer florets surround a compact head of reddish-brown disk florets. Flower heads are cupped in green, hairy bracts. Leaves are long and have a rough, sandpaper-like surface. Spreads by rhizomes. Pollination: Bordered Patch, Monarch. Larval Host: Bordered Patch.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Synonym(s): Helianthus angustifolius var. planifolius

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 376. 3) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=HEAN2. 4) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Helianthus+angustifolius&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 5) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=3345&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 6) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=502919#null., 7)https://www.flawildflowers.org/flower-friday-helianthus-angustifolius/

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Contact a local Chapter

State Office Phone: 830.997.9272

State Office Address:
Native Plant Society of Texas
PO Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

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