Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale)

Common Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) | $11.99 | 4-inch pot

🌿 Quick Facts: • Native Status: Native to North America — native to Colorado in moist sites • USDA Growing Zones: 3-8 • Height: 3-5 feet • Spread: 2-3 feet

🌺 Bloom Details: • Season: Late summer into autumn • Colors: Bright yellow rays with a domed yellow-green center • Flower Type: Daisy-like heads with wedge-shaped, drooping, notched rays • Bloom Period: August-October

☀️ Growing Requirements: • Sun: Full sun — needs 6+ hours or it flops • Water: Medium to high — intolerant of dry soil; NOT for xeric beds • Soil: Moist to wet, humus-rich; tolerates clay and standing water • Spacing: 18-24 inches apart

🦋 Pollinator Benefits: • Birds: Goldfinches and small songbirds eat the seed — leave heads standing • Native Bees: Excellent — critical late-season nectar; hosts several specialist bees • Butterflies: Major fall nectar stop for monarchs; larval host for the Dainty Sulphur • Beneficial Insects: Open heads feed soldier beetles, hoverflies & parasitic wasps at season's end

🌱 Plant Care: • Spring: Cut old stems; divide every 3-4 years; begin steady watering • Summer: Pinch back by a third in early June to cut height; never let it dry out • Fall: Cut back by half after bloom, or leave seedheads for birds • Winter: Fully hardy; standing stems shelter overwintering insects

🤝 Companion Planting: • Perfect paired with:

• Cardinal Flower
• Joe Pye Weed
• Ironweed
• Asters

✨ Unique Characteristics: • Blooms when almost nothing else does — August to frost • Colorado native • Perfect for rain gardens, pond edges & downspouts • A specialist-bee host and butterfly larval host • Deer avoid the bitter foliage • Note: needs consistent moisture; foliage is toxic if eaten