Heliopsis helianthoides
False sunflower
Common names: Ox-eye sunflower, Heliopsis
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −28 °C
- Water need
- Medium
Photo: Alvesgaspar · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Description
The false sunflower produces an almost endless supply of bright golden, sunflower‑like blooms from July to October, making it one of the longest‑lasting and most persistent summer perennials. It grows 100 to 150 cm tall, forms sturdy clumps, and is a rich source of nectar and pollen for bees and butterflies. As a cut flower, it retains its beauty in a vase for a long time.
Care instructions
Provide a sunny location in nutrient‑rich, fresh soil. Water during prolonged dry periods; the plant will continue to bloom without interruption. Regularly remove spent flowers to encourage new buds. A light pruning of about one third in May makes the clump bushier and more sturdy. Divide the plant every three to four years in spring to keep it vigorous.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingMar–Apr
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 10 °C, ideally 18 °C
- Days to sprout
- 14 to 28 days
- Light
- Needs light to sprout
- Sowing depth
- Press in, don't cover
- How to start
- Start indoors, then plant out
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
loamy, sandy, humus-rich, well-drained
You need a well-drained, humus-rich soil. Anything from sandy-loamy to loamy is fine, as long as it does not stand wet permanently. Avoid waterlogging at all costs, otherwise the roots rot; a fresh, nutrient-containing site in full sun is ideal.
Feeding
Medium feeder
Months
Mar–Apr
In spring when growth starts, work mature compost shallowly into the soil. On lean soil, also rake in a little horn shavings at the surface so that the vigorous growth stays supplied over the season; on well-supplied garden soils the compost alone is enough, because too much nitrogen brings foliage instead of flowers.
Overwintering
False sunflower is fully hardy and needs no winter protection. Leave the dead stems standing over winter; they protect the plant and offer insects shelter. Cut them back to ground level only from the end of March, as soon as new growth appears; just make sure of a well-drained site, because waterlogging harms it.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
- Cuttings
- Division
False sunflower can be propagated in three ways. The easiest is division of the rootstock: every two to three years, dig the perennial up in spring (after growth starts) or in autumn, divide the root ball with a sharp spade or knife into several sections (each piece needs its own roots and shoots) and plant the pieces straight away at the new site. Division rejuvenates the plant at the same time and encourages flowering. For cuttings, in spring (roughly March to May) cut shoot tips about 10 cm long with two to three pairs of leaves, insert them in a sandy, free-draining substrate and keep them at about 20 °C in an evenly moist, lightly covered environment; after about four to six weeks they have rooted. For sowing, collect the seed heads from late summer to autumn, when the flower heads are dry, let them dry further for one to two weeks and sow the seeds in spring after the last frosts. Cold stratification (about four weeks cool at around 4 °C, for example in the fridge or by winter sowing outdoors) improves germination markedly. Cultivars you have bought can deviate from the parent type when sown; if you want to keep a particular cultivar true to type, choose cuttings or division.
Companion planting
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
For your garden
Grow False sunflower yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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