Swamp Sunflower

Helianthus angustifolius

Size: 1g availability

Flower
Max size: 6′ tall x 6′ wide
Average Size: 5′ tall x 5′ wide

Aquatic, Very Moist, Usually Moist
Clay, Loam, Sand, Muck
Sun, Part Shade
Low tolerance to salt spray; no tolerance for inundation by salt water

AKA: Narrow Leaf Sunflower

This yellow, short-lived perennial blooms yellow in the fall. It reseeds readily and spreads by rhizomes. Plant where it is allowed to spread OR control it by surrounding it with other, densely-rooted plants. Stems can be pinched back in late spring or early summer to encourage shorter, bushier growth and more blooms.

Mildly resistant to browsing by deer. Highly attractive pollinator plant. It supports over 50 species of Lepidoptera as a caterpillar host plant, including the Great Leopard Moth, Isabella Tiger Moth, and Silvery Checkerspot. Recorded specialized bees also use it: Andrena acceptta, Andrena aliciae, Andrena helianthi, Melissodes agilis, Dieunomia heeropoda, Megachile pugnata, and Paranthidium jugatorium. The late fall-winter seeds are useful for a number of wildlife including field mice and birds.

Additional sources: Atlas of Florida Plants, NC State Extension, Florida Wildflower Foundation, FNPS