Helianthus giganteus
giant sunflower
Family Asteraceae
IUCN: Least concern Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)
About
Giant sunflower is a tall perennial of wet meadows, swamps and riverbanks in the eastern United States and Canada.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Not recorded. We have no source on whether this plant is safe for cats, dogs or other pets — that is not the same as safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked.
- People
- Not recorded.
- Light
- Full sun gives the most flowers; partial shade is tolerated. General guidance for the genus
- Propagation
- Seed or stem cuttings. General guidance for the genus
- Mature size
- 1–3 m tall, occasionally to 4 m.
“General guidance for the genus” marks advice sourced for the genus as a whole rather than this species.
Field notes
Morphology
Usually 1–3 m tall, occasionally 4 m. Leaves are about 2.5 × 18 cm and somewhat rough; bright yellow heads reach about 7 cm across.
Distribution & habitat
From Newfoundland west to Alberta and south to Minnesota, Mississippi and South Carolina, mostly in valleys with wet meadows, swamps and river banks.
History & etymology
The Choctaw cultivated it and made bread from its ground seed mixed with maize.
Conservation
Assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- United States, Canada
- IUCN status
- Least concern
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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