f Florida’s 1 native sunower species,
gardeners will most often nd Dune or
Beach sunower (Helianthus debilis).
Dune sunower naturally occurs along the
coast, but adapts well for inland use.
Description
Dune sunower, a perennial with bright
yellow owers, blooms throughout the
year. It will die back in North Florida in
winter. Depending on the variety (see
Caution), this plant may be spreading or
upright. s a groundcover, it may sprawl
several feet, but generally is no more than
1 or 2 feet high. The upright variety can
be taller.
Planting
Give Dune sunower room to roam,
as it spreads readily. Plant in masses
3 to 4 feet apart. Do not irrigate after
establishment. Plants can reseed
prolically. Seedlings may be carefully
dug up and relocated. Be sure to water
transplanted seedlings well until they are
established.
Seeds
Seeds are available commercially. To
collect your own, allow ower heads to dry
on the plants, then break them open to
collect seeds.
Plants
Dune sunower is readily available in
containers from native nurseries. It also
is often available at commercial garden
centers. (See Caution.)
Care
Dune sunower will get leggy and messylooking
over time. Remove old stems and
let new plants sprout from seeds. Light
trims every three months will help keep
foliage looking fresh. This plant will also
regenerate from the rootstock if winters
are mild.
Site conditions
Plant dune sunower in full sun for best
owering. Plants will tolerate light shade
for part of the day.
Dune sunower is salt- and wind-tolerant.
It likes exceedingly well-drained sandy
soils. void persistently moist or heavily
irrigated situations.
Hardiness zones
Dune sunower does best when used in
zones 8b–11.
Other species
Narrowleaf sunower (Helianthus
angustifolius) also may be available at
nurseries specializing in native plants. It
naturally grows throughout the Panhandle,
North and Central Florida south to Lake
keechobee and is suitable for zones
8a–10a. It prefers moist acidic soils.
Narrowleaf sunower’s showy golden
owers are 3 inches across with reddishbrown
centers. It can reach 4 to feet in
height. It has long narrow, rough leaves
and blooms in the fall. It may die back in
winter, particularly in North Florida. It’s
a great choice for a large, sunny moist
meadow, a lake edge or retention pond,
a ditch, or the back of a bog garden. It
spreads aggressively by its roots and may
outcompete other wildowers in a small
garden.
Space plants 2 to 3 feet apart. Consider
using them where you won’t mind seeing
spent stems and owers after a bloom.
Stems can be pinched back in late spring
or early summer to encourage shorter,
bushier growth and more blooms. Divide
plants for using elsewhere.
Gardeners may encounter two other
species Rayless sunower (Helianthus
radula) and Lakeside sunower
(Helianthus carnosus). Rayless sunower
has no sunny yellow ray owers — ust
dark, purplish owerheads on 2- to 3-foot
stems in the fall. Despite the lack of ray
owers, Rayless sunower attracts many
small bees and
butteries. Its leaves
are also unusual —
1–2 ft; ft
large, round, thick
and relatively at
Nectar
on the ground. ou
can use this plant
in well-drained moist soils from Lake
keechobee northward. Mix in a few with
ornamental grasses and other wildowers
for visual contrast.
Lakeside sunower blooms from late
spring to fall with showy 3-inch yellow
owers with greenish-yellow centers. The
1- to 3-foot stems rise from an evergreen
basal rosette. Central and North Florida
gardeners can use it in moist-to-wet soils.
Use Rayless sunower in zones 8a–9b,
and Lakeside sunower in zones 8a–9a.
ll of Florida’s native sunflowers
are excellent nectar plants for
butterflies and pollinators.
There are three distinct
subspecies of Dune
sunower ast Coast
CAUTION
dune sunower, est
Coast dune sunower
(Helianthus debilis
subsp. vestitus) and Cucumberleaf
dune sunower (H. debilis subsp.
cucumerifolius). Most native nurseries
should know the difference; other
nurseries may not. nvironmentally
conscientious gardeners living along
the coast should ask their nursery
supplier for the subspecies native to
their locale. This will help preserve the
distinct identities and ecological roles
of these plants.
Narrowleaf sunower naturally ranges
as far west as Texas and as far north
as New ork. Large retail outlets and
national seed suppliers sell varieties
originating from out of state. Their
performance in your landscape can
be different than Florida ecotypes.
Photo by Bob Peterson
Photo by Eleanor Dietrich