Description
Scientific name: Helianthus occidentalis
Range: Michigan, eastern U.P.
Light: Full to partial sun
Soil: Loam, sand
Moisture: Medium to dry
Height: 3′
Blooms: July-September
Zones: 3-9
Color: Yellow
Spacing: 1′
Root: Rhizome
Western sunflower’s elegant star-like flowers are held aloft on leafless stalks only two to three feet tall that are perfect for dry meadows and small prairie gardens. Blooming for an extended period in late summer, the flowers are a boon to pollinators. And silvery checkerspot and gorgon checkerspot butterflies, along with various moths, use them as host plants. Naturally, birds love the seeds. Most sunflowers are aggressive spreaders, but western sunflower is among the best behaved of this rowdy bunch. Since native plant guru Douglas Tallamy endorses sunflowers as keystone species, we thought we’d offer one with good manners.
