False Sunflower – Heliopsis helianthoides

APPEARANCE

This mid-summer bloomer features golden yellow daisy-like flowers up to three inches across. The bright flowers with dark centers perch on stiff stalks rising from clumps of dark green foliage. Waves of these golden flowers are often seen along roadsides or in fields and meadows.

CULTIVATION

Heliopsis is an easy to grow perennial. It prefers well drained soil amended with compost, but will tolerate rocky or clay soils. Plant in full sun to part shade and remove the dead flowers during the growing season to promote new blooms. Divide the foliage clumps every two to three years to stimulate growth. Heliopsis is hardy in zones 3-9.

LANDSCAPE USE

A valuable addition to the perennial border or cutting garden, Heliopsis blooms from summer through fall. A mid to tall perennial that can reach heights of five feet, it is best planted in the back of borders or open areas. Grow with other colorful perennials such as campanulas, hardy geraniums and rudebeckias. The flowers attract butterflies and other pollinators to the garden.

Contributed by Valerie Smith, Colorado Master Gardener. For answers to your horticultural questions, contact the Master Gardener Help Desk at 636-8921, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays – Thursdays, or CSUmg2@elpasoco.com.

Photo courtesy of Leslie Holzmann.

 

Blooming in Monument Valley Park – Aug 4

For a wrap-up of other areas and what’s been blooming, check out:
Blooming in Monument Valley Park – All Posts.

As promised, this week we’ll look at a couple of the berries and seedheads that you can now see in the park. I can’t resist adding a couple of new blooming plants as well. Many of the plants highlighted in last week’s post are still blooming as well.

Chokecherry
We’ll start at the parking lot where Fontanero Street ends at the park and head west down the hill. Turn right at the dumpster and walk north on the path. After about 1/4 mile, you will notice some LARGE shrubs on the east side of the path with lots of small red to reddish-black berries. This is our old friend the native chokecherry (Padus virginiana) that we saw blooming back in May. The berries are edible, though not terribly tasty (hence the name?) and a bit astringent. Reportedly, the riper, blacker berries are sweeter. The fruit are a favorite with bears and in other areas of town, it can be difficult to see many berries because of this.