Swamp Sunflower

Swamp Sunflower or Narrow leaf Sunflower, Helianthus angustifolius, can be found growing in moist, sunny areas from southern New York to Florida and west to the Ohio River valley and south to southern Texas. It can grow in the boggy piney woods of East Texas and in the roadside ditches all the way to the harsh salt environment of the Coastal Salt marshes on the Texas Coast. Even though it will grow in water logged soils better than most sunflowers, don't get the wrong idea. Swamp Sunflower can also tolerate periods of drought too. It is a nice wildflower as it fills the niche between wetland plants such as cattails and upland species. Swamp Sunflower is a perennial just like Maximilian Sunflower so even though it dies back every winter it will come back again from the roots in the spring. The root mass can be dug up and divided in early spring if you would like to transplant in other areas or share with your neighbors. This will make a great plant for the swales in rain gardens! On occasion, if Swamp Sunflower becomes too tall, you can cut it back in June so it will be bushier and still have blooms in the fall. This same technique can be applied to the Maximilian Sunflower as well. If planted this spring it will bloom Sept. - Nov. about the same time that the perennial Maximilian Sunflower is blooming. It is easy to tell the two apart. Swamp Sunflower has a dark purplish center and reddish purple stems and skinny willowy leaves while Maximilian Sunflower will have yellow centered flowers and larger leaves. The flowers of Swamp Sunflower are 2-3 inches across and are smaller than the other species in the sunflower family. Although it has slightly smaller flowers, Swamp Sunflower will bloom for a longer period of time which more than makes up for the size. With the whole plant covered in golden yellow flowers some people think that it looks like a large flame. Butterflies, bees and other pollinators flock to this valuable nectar source. With all the pollinator action it draws, many seeds are produced which is a boon for the many kinds of wildlife from small mammals to the many, many different types of birds. Swamp Sunflower will be a favorite in your native landscape for you and the wildlife.