Re: Anyone Growing Helenium

Yes, the butterflies do like them-they are late blooming and the swallow 
tails around here land on them.

There are two species in general cultivation, with Helenium autumnale being 
the most commonly grown.

They tend to be tall plants, growing 3-5 feet tall but with a trimming in 
early summer the stems will be shorter and produce a more flowered-flatter 
top.

They like moist soils, but do well in normal garden soils as long as its not 
very dry.

There are a number of different forms to raise from seed:

Helenium autumnale 'Red & Gold Hybrids' 

 "Sneezeweed" or "Helen'sFlower"  (hell-EE-nee-um: (au-tum-NAIL-ee) most 
likely a hybrid from a few different species but sold under this name. Plants 
grow 3-4 feet tall and have many daisy like flowers with a smooth cone like 
center in different shades of red and gold plus combinations producing nice 
bicolors. Butterflies and birds love this plant and they make nice cut 
flowers too. blooms in late summer and early fall. Will bloom the second 
year. Flowering stems can be shorted by topping off the plant in late June, 
just pinch off the top growing point, which produces a more branched 
flowering display.  Plants do not cause people to sneeze but bloom the same 
time many of the ragweed's do. Native from eastern and south central united 
states. The genus is named after Helen of Troy and the species name means "of 
the fall" because plants bloom in the fall. Full sun in moist soils but doing 
very well in normal good garden soils-divide every three years.  Hardy in 
zones 3-8.  Surface sow seeds, light needed for best germination, use F 70, 
10-18 days.  

Others to try include:

Helenium 'Helena Red' 

Plants grow a bit shorter than the other seed raised plants with this 
selection reaching about 4 feet.  Many daisy like flowers in different shades 
of red. Well, branched stems and upright habit.  Zones 3-8.  

Helenium 'Helena Gold' - Gold and yellow flowers Habit as above. 

Helium 'New Hybrids' -- a Mix of all types from short to tall plants, solid 
colors and bicolors. Large flowers. 

Others species include:

Helenium hoopesi - (hel-EE-nee-um:who-PESS-ee-eye) "Orange Sneezeweed" This 
species is a little more refined than the one above, rich golden-yellow 
flowers are 3 inches wide and daisy like. Plants grow 30 inches tall. Makes a 
good cut flower. Will flower the same year sown if done in mid spring.  This 
species will take a drier soil than the above. Zones 3-7.


There are about 40 species of perennial and annual Sneeze weeds, five or so 
are found east of the Mississippi River with the rest in the western sates 
down into south America. 

The plants have been hybridized by the Germans and there are a number of nice 
cultivars on the market with large showy flowers and good upright form.

Divide in the spring every few years, plants have "woody" stems that persist 
over the winter and in the spring new rosettes of leaves grow from around the 
old stems -- remove those rosettes and replant.  If plants are left in the 
ground without division-over time they become over crowded and plants die 
off.

Paul

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