Late summer is the season when many of our beautiful wildlife garden perennials, trees and shrubs come into their own. Colorful foliage, deep colored berries and the bright blooms shine against the rest of the fading summer garden. One of my very favorites blooming now is the American native wildflower Heliopsis helianthoides, commonly known as ‘Smooth Oxeye’ or ‘Oxeye Sunflower.’ What a show!
With a mature height ranging from two to six feet tall with stiff branching stems and bright yellow flowers that resemble the rays of a sunflower, Heliopsis is common both to American prairies and the Eastern United States. A perennial, it’s hardy from zones 3 to 9 and tolerates soils ranging from sand to clay, forming a neat, drought tolerant clump that blooms with abandon in full sun or part shade starting in mid-summer. (For the best show, grow Heliopsis helianthoides in full sun and slightly damp sandy loam soils.)
A member of the aster family (Asteraceae), Heliopsis is a lovely must-have addition to your beautiful wildlife garden! The sunny blooms persist for more than two months in the garden and are wonderful long-lasting cut flowers in arrangements. Unlike true sunflowers, the petals of Heliopsis won’t fade and drop, keeping the plant looking tidy. Each flattened, cone-shaped center produces seeds you can save for planting and sharing; they should be collected after the petals have fallen and the centers have blackened completely. (Please be sure to leave some seeds for the birds in your garden…they love them!) Saved seeds germinate easily and can be started indoors in late winter/early spring or direct-sown outdoors in late spring.
Aside from its hardiness, drought tolerance and long-lasting beautiful blooms, I grow Heliopsis in our beautiful wildlife garden because it’s also a nectar source for butterflies, hummingbirds and bees. Ours are currently being frequented by a variety of bees as well as monarch and white admiral butterflies. Beautiful blooms, ease of care, drought tolerance and a beneficial nectar and food source… don’t you just love native plants?!
© 2010, Lisa Gustavson. All rights reserved. This article is the property of BeautifulWildlifeGarden.com If you are reading this at another site, please report that to us
I just love plants that give so many benefits. Talk about a big bang for your buck! Mine is covered with bees and butterflies, and Goldfinches precariously perched on the stems chowing down on the seeds.
Carole recently posted..Beautiful Wildlife Garden- Chris McLaughlin
I’ve read Heliopsis can be a short-lived perennial, but we’ve had it growing in the same areas for over nine years and it hasn’t flinched. It’s a stalwart member of the fall garden!
What a lovely, lovely post. I’m so glad I found your blog!
rose recently posted..Dispensary- Garden & Kitchen Delights
How nice! I’m so happy you’ve found Beautiful Wildlife Garden as well! Thank you for your kind words and I hope you’ll join the conversation often.
I plan to!
rose recently posted..Dispensary- Garden & Kitchen Delights
Hooray! We’d love for you to join the conversation on the Beautiful Wildlife Garden Facebook page, too (if you haven’t already). There are a lot of people sharing their gardens, tips and pictures of wildlife there as well!
Lisa, I definitely want these in my garden for next year! Great plant profile and photos – I love the bee picture. I guess I’ll start looking around for seeds to start early next year.
Kathy Green recently posted..Garden Bloggers Bloom Day August 2010
Thank you, Kathy! I can’t say enough about Heliopsis. It’s beautiful on a sunny day, but absolutely shines when the skies are cold and gray. Just lovely alive with butterflies and humming bees!
How lovely! They’re like a ray of sunshine ~ I especially like the second image. Flowers in the aster family never fail to make me smile.
Chris McLaughlin recently posted..Fire Belly Organic Lawn & Garden Care Products
It’s one of my favorites, I love everything about it!
I’m a fool for plants that bring in the beautiful bees and other critters, but somehow this one isn’t in my garden~Must remedy this and soon~The images are marvelous.
Gail Eichelberger recently posted..Advice For New Garden BloggersThree For Thursday
You’ll be happy having Heliopsis in your garden, I’ve shared divisions of ours with several neighbors and they love it, too. Please let me know how it does in your garden.
I will Lisa, something tells me that it will be right at home here and attract more bumbles to the garden.
Gail recently posted..Advice For New Garden BloggersThree For Thursday
Lisa, me too. I love this plant. The golden yellow is perfect in the late summer garden!
Such a cheerful plant! A friend gave me some divisions of a double form of Heliopsisis, they have done really well and spread, but I have not really noticed many visitors to the flowers…I think the nectar inside those ruffly petals might be too difficult for them to reach. The Swamp Sunflower (Helianthus angustifolium) next to it, though, is loaded with butterflies, bees, tons of other pollinators and the goldfinches are already working the seeds. It’s a close relative to the Heliopsis, I think….the flowers in your pic look JUST like my helianthus flowers. Those single yellow blooms really bring in the bees!
Ellen Sousa recently posted..Small Habitat Gardens of Worcester MA West
That’s a beautiful, big plant. If I had moist soil, I would definitely grow it.
Mr. McGregor’s Daughter recently posted..Three for Thursday- Outstanding Hostas