Helenium: Sneezeweed
Don't let the name Sneezeweed scare you away from this stunning bloomer. The name comes from the Indigenous use of the plant in the making of snuff.
Plant care & info
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Helenium
Common Name: Helen’s Flower, Sneezeweed
This genus of about 40 herbaceous perennials, annuals, and biennials is found mostly in North, Central and South America. Helenium bigelovii, H. bolanderi, and H. hoopseii are native to Oregon.
Helenium prefers full sun (at least 6 hours of direct sun), well-drained soil, and regular water. Propagate from seed or by division in early spring. Heleniums are hardy in Zones 3-9.
Regular removal of spent blooms will prolong flowering. Staking may be required during seasons of hot weather, which promotes tall, weak growth. Plants can also be pinched or pruned when growth is six to eight inches tall to encourage more compact plants. Mulching with compost helps keep roots cool and moist in the summer. Dividing the plants every two to three years will help revitalize vigor.
Slugs, snails, rust, and powdery mildew. If plants have mildew they can be cut by one-half to two-thirds after blooming. This helps deter further outbreaks.
Attracts bees, butterflies, beneficial insects and hummingbirds. Great cut flower. Drought tolerant. Long bloom season.
Heleniums are a gorgeous flower for the late summer and early fall garden. They are covered in dozens of 2-3″ flowers from July through September and can rebloom in October.
Flowers come in shades of gold, yellow, rust, and mahogany—and they’re all topped by a brown button. With some varieties reaching 5’ tall, they also add height to mixed borders. Not only do Heleniums look good in the garden, they are also great cut flowers and good for bees. They are easy to grow and reliable in any fertile soil. They also tolerate quite a bit of moisture, making them a good candidate for the moist to mesic area of a rain-garden. They blend perfectly with grasses, bee balm, yarrow and other late season bloomers.
