Oxeye Sunflower, Heliopsis helianthoides

Heliopsis helianthoides is a versatile native plant, suitable for a wide range of soil types, and with a very long bloom period. It goes by a number of common names: Smooth Oxeye, Common Ox-eye, Early Sunflower, and False Sunflower. It is called a “false” not because it is fake or an introduced species, but because it has a unique biological ability that true sunflowers lack. Sunflowers are composite flowers. This means that the center of the flower is made up of many tiny flowers and the large ray of flowers around the exterior is also comprised of many tiny flowers. In true sunflowers, the ray flowers are sterile, but not with the false sunflower! That may be more trivia than you needed, so just remember this: Oxeye Sunflowers are great native plants that give a lot of bang for their buck!

Life Cycle: Short-lived Perennial
Size: 5 feet
Sun: Full, Partial
Soil: Medium-Wet, Medium, Medium-Dry
Bloom Time: June, July, August, September
Advantages: