Helianthus Species, Maximillian Sunflower, Prairie Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
Family: | Asteraceae (ass-ter-AY-see-ee) (Info) |
Genus: | Helianthus (hee-lee-AN-thus) (Info) |
Species: | maximiliani (maks-ih-mill-ee-ANE-ee) (Info) |
Synonym: | Helianthus dalyi |

Category:
Perennials
Water Requirements:
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Sun Exposure:
Full Sun
Foliage:
Herbaceous
Smooth
This plant is resistant to deer
Foliage Color:
Blue-Green
Height:
4-6 ft. (1.2-1.8 m)
6-8 ft. (1.8-2.4 m)
8-10 ft. (2.4-3 m)
Spacing:
36-48 in. (90-120 cm)
Hardiness:
USDA Zone 4a: to -34.4 °C (-30 °F)
USDA Zone 4b: to -31.6 °C (-25 °F)
USDA Zone 5a: to -28.8 °C (-20 °F)
USDA Zone 5b: to -26.1 °C (-15 °F)
USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 °C (-10 °F)
USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 °C (-5 °F)
USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 °C (0 °F)
USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F)
USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F)
USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 °C (15 °F)
USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F)
USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)
USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F)
Where to Grow:
Danger:
N/A
Bloom Color:
Bright Yellow
Bloom Characteristics:
This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds
Bloom Size:
Bloom Time:
Mid Fall
Other details:
Soil pH requirements:
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
Patent Information:
Non-patented
Propagation Methods:
From seed; direct sow after last frost
Self-sows freely; deadhead if you do not want volunteer seedlings next season
Seed Collecting:
Allow seedheads to dry on plants; remove and collect seeds
Regional
This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions:
Opelika, Alabama
Phoenix, Arizona
Rimrock, Arizona
Calistoga, California
Menifee, California
San Diego, California
San Jose, California
Vacaville, California
Clifton, Colorado
Deltona, Florida
Atlanta, Georgia
Fairfield, Idaho
Champaign, Illinois
Divernon, Illinois
Washington, Illinois
Iowa City, Iowa
Yale, Iowa
Perry, Kansas
Somerset, Kentucky
Ijamsville, Maryland
Amesbury, Massachusetts
Somerville, Massachusetts
Farmington, Michigan
Pinconning, Michigan
Florence, Mississippi
Pahrump, Nevada
Barrington, New Hampshire
Jersey City, New Jersey
Trenton, New Jersey
Fairacres, New Mexico
High Rolls Mountain Park, New Mexico
Roswell, New Mexico
Southold, New York
Charlotte, North Carolina
Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Portland, Oregon
Berwick, Pennsylvania
Hamburg, Pennsylvania
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Norristown, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Furnace, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania(2 reports)
Conway, South Carolina
Florence, South Carolina
Lexington, South Carolina
Arlington, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Arlington, Texas
Austin, Texas(2 reports)
Broaddus, Texas
Cleveland, Texas
Dripping Springs, Texas
Jacksonville, Texas
Linden, Texas
New Caney, Texas
Quinlan, Texas
Santa Fe, Texas
Spicewood, Texas
Temple, Texas
Jensen, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Virginia Beach, Virginia
East Port Orchard, Washington
Grand Mound, Washington
Lake Forest Park, Washington
Parkwood, Washington
Port Orchard, Washington
Rochester, Washington
Grantsburg, Wisconsin
Casper, Wyoming
Kinnear, Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming
Riverton, Wyoming
show allGardeners' Notes:
Rating | Content |
---|---|
Positive | On Oct 3, 2017, yogazone from Frankfort, KY wrote: I planted one at the end of my patio, and the pollenators LOVE it! I'm going to try putting three of these in my back fencerow to see if it can compete and perhaps overtake my 10-foot tall poison poke! Happy to know it's considered invasive. I need all the help I can get in this grown-up natural fencerow! |
Positive | On May 4, 2016, RJS27 from Pennsylvania Furnace, PA wrote: They grow anywhere but they need sun and decent soil to get tall and to flower, which is the point. They are invasive in any soil so don't plant them unless you want them and are prepared to put down 12" edging. |
Neutral | On Oct 3, 2014, danishlady from Greene, NY wrote: well, just put one of these in this year, right by my kitchen door. But moving it, after reading about the carpenter ants. Any suggestions about how far away from the house is safe for the house? |
Positive | On Sep 20, 2014, LindaCH from Farmington, MI wrote: I have had this plant for four years and it has bloomed profusely since the second year. I didn't know I was supposed to pinch it, so it has become very leggy and over 8' tall. I planted it against a south-facing wall of my garage and have not noticed it attracting ants, as someone else posted. The roots do grow vigorously and I have been chopping them back each spring to keep them in the area where I want them. I haven't given it any other special treatment and it is thriving. Next year I will try pinching it in stages to get a staggered flowering period, and to keep it a little shorter. |
Positive | On Sep 14, 2014, dmxinc from Trenton, NJ wrote: I can definitely see this plant being invasive. That being said, it grows well in just about any soil, even in moderately low light. I live on red clay that tends to hold water, and this plant has thrived! I planted 4 plants, and now easily have 75 in four years. |
Positive | On May 27, 2014, Chillybean from (Zone 5a) wrote: I planted a dozen plugs here and there around the yard early this month and they are already coming up. I want spreading; I want "invasive", so I have high hopes this native sunflower will fit the bill. We have space to play with and no nearby neighbors who care. |
Positive | On Jun 8, 2013, real_americana from San Diego, CA (Zone 10b) wrote: I planted seeds this year with great anticipation. For those who are annoyed with the invasiveness of these plants there is good news: the roots (or rhizomes) are edible. Wikipedia says that they are similar in taste to jerusalem artichokes. And J. L. Hudson reports, "The thick tubers were eaten by the Sioux and other peoples." So don't get mad, get cooking. Another site says, "The plant’s long flowering period and spreading habit, along with its tendency to form thickets or large colonies, make it ideal for wildlife food and cover. Livestock, especially sheep and goats, readily eat the forage." Plus it attracts butterflies and birds. Looks like a good permaculture candidate. |
Neutral | On Jan 19, 2013, strange2u from Hinsdale, IL wrote: I am looking for native plants that deer like to eat regularly and naturally, and no, I'm not a hunter. I'm looking for native plants that deer prefer to eat, in an attempt to distract them from, eating from other gardens grown for human pleasures. |
Neutral | On Oct 30, 2011, shindagger from Oklahoma City, OK wrote: I just pulled three long rooted starts easily out of a wet ditch. I notice they were growing in pure red sticky clay, the kind that dries as hard as bricks in summer. The plants were all stick straight and flowering heavily in the country. I am planting mine in the worst, unimproved clay "dirt" on the property line which is about as bad as what I pulled these out of. After reading other comments, I think they will flop in good soil, be invasive and get too tall, perhaps at the expense of blooms? |
Positive | On May 3, 2011, prestonpaints from Charlotte, NC (Zone 7b) wrote: Great plant in the right place. Grows extremely fast, drought tolerant and puts on quite a show in the weening days of summer! I started with just a few roots from my mother's garden- now I have divided it several times over a three year period and spread it through-out my garden. Don't use this plant in small gardens...it has the potential to take over. Will self sow and spread through the roots. |
Neutral | On Sep 26, 2009, Clary from Lewisburg, PA (Zone 6b) wrote: After 3 years, a single plug grew to a 2-foot clump that produced over a dozen stems. In rich soil in full sun it grew to 12' high. The shape of the plant was much improved by a mid-season pruning. |
Negative | On Mar 19, 2009, SunnyBorders from Aurora, ON (Zone 5b) wrote: Further to comment by straea: |
Neutral | On Jun 1, 2008, straea from Somerville, MA (Zone 6b) wrote: It was only after I planted this that I first heard about its potentially aggressive tendencies. Guess I didn't do enough research. Regardless, last year (its first year), planted in early summer from a good-sized but not huge container, it bloomed in a small clump on tall, wiry stems that didn't shade its neighbors as much as one might think from a tall plant. I enjoyed the pretty blooms and then birds enjoyed the seeds. Apparently it was expending most of its energy on its roots last year, because this year it came up in a clump over twice the size of last year's and has been spreading its roots outward over the past two months, sending up new sprouts as it goes. I wouldn't have planted it close to my Oriental poppies if I had known how aggressive it can be (and this is poor, dry so... read more |
Neutral | On Apr 21, 2008, Mountaindave from Port Orchard, WA wrote: Their first year, they grew to about ten feet tall. Problem was they were not bushy so they looked scraggly with blooms only near the top. Should I pinch them? |
Positive | On Jun 22, 2007, dicentra63 from West Valley City, UT (Zone 6b) wrote: Perennial sunflowers! Who can resist? |
Positive | On May 23, 2006, SudieGoodman from Broaddus, TX (Zone 8b) wrote: Zone 8b, Southeast, TX in Broaddus: |
Neutral | On Jan 16, 2006, Gabrielle from (Zone 5a) wrote: Finches love this plant, so I leave a few for them. They blend in with it so well that you really have to look close to see them. As the flowers loose the yellow and turn brown in the fall, so do the finches! They do have a tendency to flop (the plant, not the finches) and seed too freely. Blooms September - October in my garden. |
Neutral | On Oct 11, 2004, tcfromky from Mercer, PA (Zone 5a) wrote: Use Maximaillian sunflower extremely sparingly in new plantings, particularly on good soil. It is very aggressive and will dominate a planting. |
Positive | On Jun 16, 2004, Wingnut from Spicewood, TX (Zone 8b) wrote: Striking plant to have in the garden! Three inch wide blooms stacked one above another on three feet of stalk. |
Positive | On May 24, 2004, frostweed from Josephine, Arlington, TX (Zone 8a) wrote: The Maximillian sunflower is really beautiful in the Fall together with golden rod, purple and white asters, and orange butterfly weed. |
Neutral | On May 23, 2004, HJohnston from Memphis, TN wrote: I was disappointed at first since there were no blooms all summer and the plants became quite large and were shading out some other plants in the same bed. Then in the fall they were covered with six inch blooms when not much else was blooming. I have since moved them to another spot where they will not shade out other plants and there is a fence behind them which I use to tie them up with a string since the heads are very heavy and they tend to fall over. There are so many blooms they are also good for cutting for indoor arrangements in fall colors. |
Neutral | On Jul 21, 2003, corrales from Arvada, CO wrote: Helianthus maximilianii is sometimes sold as a perennial. I started seed and now have transplanted about 30 seedlings, all of them now (mid-July) 12"+ and growing, vigorous,with long arching leaves. All are clearly related but have the sunflower trait of variations on a common theme. |
Neutral | On Sep 27, 2002, yvana from Stone Mountain, GA (Zone 7b) wrote: Common Name: Prairie Sunflower |
Neutral | On Aug 11, 2001, Sis wrote: Very robust 6' to 8' plants, producing large quantities of single yellow blooms in late summer. |