Helianthus salicifolius
willowleaf sunflower
compoSitae
Golden-yellow, daisylike flower heads; long
narrow leaves
5–6 ft. high; 3 ft. wide
Full sun
Blooms late September–October
Zones 4–9
pruning If plants are grown in full
sun, the stems are usually
self-supporting. If given shade or
overly rich soil, plants will be more
open, taller, and weaker, requiring
staking. Pinching or cutting back
creates more compact growth. Plants
in full sun that normally reach 4–5 ft.
may grow to about 3 ft. when pinched
in early July, with no delay in flowering.
Cutting plants back by half in
mid-June also creates shorter plants
with no delay in bloom. Helianthus
salicifolius flowers so late in the season
that deadheading to prolong bloom
isn’t really practical, and theseedheads are attractive to humans
and birds. I’ve never had reseeding of
this species. Plants can be left up for
the winter, although stems will break
under the weight of snow and heavy
winds. Cutting back after several frosts
may be more desirable if a tidy winter
appearance is the goal.
other maintenance This is an
easy-to-grow plant. It is seemingly
tolerant of a wide range of situations,
although it prefers moist, well-
draining soil. It is fairly drought
tolerant once established. Willowleaf
sunflower is wide-spreading, so a
single plant creates an impressive
sight. Divide clumps, if needed, in the
spring every 4–5 years.
related plantS Maturing at 15 in.,
Helianthus salicifolius ‘Low Down’ is so
small that it seems like another
species entirely, but it is just a willow-
leaf sunflower in miniature.
Helianthus angustifolius, swamp
sunflower (zones 6–9), is a
tall-growing sunflower with a ratherHelianthus salicifolius.
Unpruned, this species reaches
approximately 5 ft. in height;
pruned, as here, it reaches only
3 ft.