Although not an actual sunflower, false sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides), with its brilliant yellow daisy-like flowers, adds cheery color to a garden bed or border. False sunflower is more compact (so less likely to flop) than the real deal. It also starts blooming earlier, so you can enjoy the single, semidouble, or double flowers over many weeks. Many varieties grow 3-5 feet tall, while some smaller varieties are less than 2 feet tall.
While this plant's 2- to 3-inch-diameter blossoms are not as large as those of a sunflower, they are borne in large enough quantities to make up for it. In most specimens, each flower comprises a single row of golden petals around a darker yellow center eye. (That's why this plant is often called ox eye.) Some varieties bear double flowers that include an extra set of petals for a fuller look. For additional interest, check out variegated varieties with foliage in different green, white, and pink mixtures.
False Sunflower Overview
Where to Plant False Sunflower
Grow false sunflowers in full sun to boost the number of flowers and alleviate the need for supports for the taller varieties. They are excellent additions to a cottage garden bed or cutting garden, and they grow well in containers.
How and When to Plant False Sunflower
Sow the seeds outside in early spring or early fall in rich, loamy soil that is well-draining and slightly acidic to neutral (pH 5.5 to 7). If you must choose between wet or dry soil, choose dry; the plant does better in a dry environment. If you start seeds indoors, allow about ten weeks from when the seed is sown to when the seedlings are ready to transplant in the garden. Plan to have the seedlings ready to transplant in early August or before the last spring frost.
False Sunflower Care Tips
Light
False sunflowers grow best in full sun. With variegated varieties, full sun brings out the most stunning colorations in the foliage. You may be able to get by with part sun, especially with variegated varieties, but plan on staking floppy plants.
Soil and Water
False sunflower grows best in well-drained soil, but this plant tolerates poor soil (clay or sandy) and rocky conditions. Growing false sunflower in lean soil acts as a natural growth regulator, helping prevent the plant from flopping.
Temperature and Humidity
Although false sunflower is drought-tolerant, it can handle high humidity as long as the soil drains well. However, fungal diseases like powdery mildew may increase in damp areas.
Fertilizer
False sunflower doesn't require any supplementary fertilization.
Pruning
To avoid floppiness, cut plants back by one-third in late spring to early summer to encourage shorter, well-branched specimens. After the plants finish blooming, cut them back to 2-3 inches for the winter.
Deadhead spent blossoms to improve the plant's appearance, encourage reblooming, and reduce or prevent self-seeding.
Potting and Repotting False Sunflower
Shorter varieties of false sunflower make excellent container plants. Choose a large clay pot with drainage holes and fill it with potting soil. Place the container outside near a patio or other sitting area. It needs full sun and protection from strong winds. If you cut the plant back to a few inches from the soil at the end of the growing season, it should not need repotting.
Pests and Problems
False sunflower is occasionally bothered by powdery mildew, a foliar fungus that manifests as a white powdery coating on lower leaves. While this condition is unsightly, it will not likely cause long-term damage. The best control is prevention. If your plants experienced powdery mildew the previous season, clean up last year's debris in the spring. Planting false sunflower in full sun keeps foliage drier, another option for preventing mildew.
Plants that are damaged or weakened might attract aphids, which can be treated with insecticidal soap or neem oil.
How to Propagate False Sunflower
False sunflower is easy to propagate from divisions, seeds, or basal cuttings.
Divisions: False sunflower benefits from being divided every two or three years, and the divisions are an excellent way to obtain additional plants. Dig up a mature plant, being careful to dig deep so as not to damage the roots. Use a sharp spade or knife to cut the plant into two or three sections, each with foliage and roots. Replant the divisions immediately in a prepared garden bed.
Seed: Harvesting seed from a false sunflower is another way to propagate it. After a bloom dies, put the flower head and a short section of stem from the plant in a paper bag. Place the bag in a warm, dry place. When the seed head is completely dry, break it apart with your fingers to free the seeds, or—if you are harvesting several seed heads—put them in a container with a lid and shake it to loosen the seeds from the chaff. Use a kitchen strainer to separate the tiny seeds from the rest of the material. Store the seeds in a dry place until planting season.
Basal Cuttings: Basel cuttings are similar to stem cuttings, except instead of cutting at the top of a growing stem, cut at the soil line of a young, recently emerged stem about 6 inches tall. Remove the leaves from the bottom half of the cutting, dip it in rooting hormone, and insert it into a small pot filled with potting soil. After it develops a robust root system, it can be transplanted outdoors or to a larger container.
Types of False Sunflower
'Double Sunstruck' False Sunflower
Heliopsis helianthoides 'Double Sunstruck' has double-yellow blooms atop variegated foliage on dwarf plants, making it a winner. This short plant grows less than 2 feet tall. Plant in zones 4-9.
'Loraine Sunshine' False Sunflower
Heliopsis helianthoides 'Loraine Sunshine' has brilliant yellow flowers that team up with nearly white foliage with strong green veins. It grows 2 to 2.5 feet tall. Plant it in zones 4-9.
'Sommersonne' False Sunflower
Heliopsis helianthoides subsp. scabra 'Sommersonne' produces compact clumps of serrated leaves, above which bloom slightly double, 3-inch-wide golden daisies. It stands 3 feet tall and is very long-blooming. Plant it in zones 3-9.
False Sunflower Companion Plants
Aster
Asters get their name from the Latin word for "star," and their flowers are indeed the superstars of the fall garden. Some types of this native plant can reach up to 6 feet with flowers in white, pink, rich purples, and showy lavenders. Not all asters are fall bloomers. Extend the season by growing some of the summer bloomers, as well. Some are naturally compact, while the types that grow more than 2 feet tall benefit from staking or an early-season pinching or cutting back by about one-third in July to keep the plant compact.
Yarrow
Yarrow is one of those plants that gives a wildflower look to any garden. It is a native plant and easy to care for. In some gardens, it thrives with almost no care, making it a good candidate for naturalistic plantings in open areas and along the edges of wooded or other wild places. Its colorful, flat-top blooms rise above clusters of ferny foliage. The tough plants resist drought, are rarely eaten by deer and rabbits, and spread moderately quickly, making yarrow a good choice for massing in borders or as a groundcover. If deadheaded after its first flush of blooms fade, yarrow will rebloom. If left to dry on the plant, flower clusters of some types provide winter interest. Flowers of yarrow are excellent in fresh or dried arrangements.
Blue Oat Grass
Refined and elegant, blue oat grass adapts easily and fits equally well in formal or informal gardens. Its mound of grassy gray-blue leaves arches gracefully throughout the season. In fall, panicles of brownish spikelets reach for the sky well above the foliage.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How long do false sunflower plants live?Because they are cold-hardy perennials, false sunflower plants come back every year for about five years, but they self-seed (unless deadheaded before they can) to provide a continual supply of these plants.
Because they are cold-hardy perennials, false sunflower plants come back every year for about five years, but they self-seed (unless deadheaded before they can) to provide a continual supply of these plants.
- Which pollinators visit false sunflowers?The sunny blooms attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, songbirds, and other pollinating insects.
The sunny blooms attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, songbirds, and other pollinating insects.
- How can false sunflower benefit a yard?False sunflower has very deep roots, which can prevent erosion. False sunflower can also be a source of food for birds during winter months.
False sunflower has very deep roots, which can prevent erosion. False sunflower can also be a source of food for birds during winter months.