Rayless Sunflower

Helianthus radula

Size: 1g availability

Flower
Max size: 2.5’ tall x 3′ wide
Average Size: 1′ tall x 1′ Wide

Very Moist, Usually Moist, Moist to Dry
Sand, Loam, Clay
Sun, Part Shade
No tolerance to salt spray, inundation by salt water, or inundation by brackish water

AKA: Stiff Sunflower, Pineland Sunflower

Typically blooms summer into fall. The blooms are inconspicious, leaving the flower appearing to be a brown/black button unless up close; sometimes the flowers can put off small ray florets. While the foliage can go dormant for winter, the basal rosette typically reappears in spring; it functions as a groundcover or low-growing foliage. It naturally occurs in wet flatwoods, pine flatwoods, sandy uplands, and along many roadsides. It is tolerant of drought and inundation; what it needs to thrive is “openness and ample sunlight.” It’s a good choice for rain gardens, low-growing wildflower patches, fields, or areas that are seasonally wet but otherwise dry. As noted by Lilly Byrd, it has potential as a groundcover for turf replacement in sunny yards due to it’s ability to withstand mowing and it’s low-growing basal rosette.

It attracts a variety of pollinators, primarily native bees but also butterflies and moths. The fall-winter seeds are eaten by birds and small animals.