Growing Guide for Helenium

Helenium - Sneezeweed, Helen's Flower,  Perennials Guide to Planting Flowers

After Helen of Troy ; according to legend the flowers sprang from her tears (Compositae). Sneezeweed. Hardy herbaceous perennials from North America, good for cutting and popularly grown for their late summer flowers. The disc of the flower head is very prominent, a characteristic of the entire genus.

Species cultivated

  • H. autumnale, 3-5 feet, yellow flowers, July to October ; var. pumilum magnificum, n feet, golden-yellow.
  • H. bigelovii, 4 feet, yellow and brown, July to September.
  • H. hoopesii, 2 feet, yellow flowers, June onwards. There are many fine cultivars including ‘Bruno’, 3 feet, bronze-red ; `Butterpat’, 3 feet, rich yellow. Thipperfield Orange’, 4-5 feet, yellow streaked and splashed crimson; ‘Copper Spray’. 3 feet, copper-red; ‘Crimson Beauty’, 2 feet, bronze-crimson; `Goldlackzwerg’, 2-3 feet, gold and copper-red; ‘July Sun’, 3 feet, golden-bronze; `Moerheim Beauty’, 3-3 1/2 feet, glowing bronze-red; ‘Riverton Beauty’, 4 feet, yellow; ‘Riverton Gem’, 4 feet, crimson streaked yellow; ‘The Bishop’, 3 feet, buttercup-yellow; ‘W’ dley’, 2 feet, chestnut and orange

Cultivation

Almost any garden soil is suitable, but a stiff loam is ideal. Plant in autumn or spring, the lower growing kinds towards the front of the border in clumps and taller growing varieties towards the back. Propagate by division or by seed.

 Helenium (hel-ee-knee-um)


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