Helenium flexuosum
Purple-headed Sneezeweed
Please register or login to build your personal plant list.Yellow daisy-like flowers bloom May through August, providing nectar for pollinators.
Description:
Purple-headed Sneezeweed flowers display dark yellow petals encircling a thick purple-colored central disc. Each petal tip is cut into 3 rounded lobes, offering additional interest. Dark green, lance-shaped, toothed leaves grow in an alternating pattern along the thin stem. Native habitat includes wooded swamps, wet meadows, disturbed fields and pastures. It prefers rich, moist soil. Purple-headed Sneezeweed will tolerate flooding but will not tolerate dry soils or drought. Don’t let the common name fool you, this flower does not cause “sneezing”. Unlike wind pollinated flowers whose pollen may cause allergies, this plant is insect pollinated. Vegetation can be toxic if ingested inlarge quantities, a characteristic that makes this plant deer resistant. Wildlife Value: Nectar and pollen are valued by a variety of bees, wasps, butterflies, flies and other beneficial insects. Host plant for several butterfly caterpillars. Birds eat the seeds.
Plant Details:
Plant Type: Flower, Perennial
New Jersey Native: Yes
Bloom Times: Late Spring to Early Summer, Summer
Bloom Colors: Yellow
Deer Resistance: High
Attracts Pollinators and Wildlife: Bees and Other Pollinators, Butterflies, Birds
Salt Tolerance: Medium
Hardiness Zone: 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
Physiographic Region: Piedmont - P, Highland - H, Coastal Plain - CP
Soil Characteristics
Soil Type: Loam, Organic
Soil Moisture: Moist, Wet
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic, Neutral
Light Needs of Plant
Optimal Light: Full Sun
Light Range: Full Sun, Partial Shade
Water Needs of Plant
Soil Moisture: Moist, Wet
Drought Tolerance: Low
Size and Growth Rate
Height: 1.5 - 3 ft
Spread: 1 - 2 ft
Growth Rate: Medium