'Bleeding Hearts' False Sunflower (Heliopsis)
Perennial
- Saturated orange/red flowers stun all summer long!
- Native perennial, loved by bees & butterflies.
- Great for creating a flower border or as a backdrop to smaller perennials.
- Deer & rabbit resistant, easy to grow.
- Zones 3-9, sun/part sun, 36″ tall x 36″ wide at maturity.
ZONE
EXPOSURE
HEIGHT
Description
Native to North America, false sunflower is an easy-going perennial that is an excellent choice for beginning gardeners or anyone looking for lots of color with minimal effort. It has outstanding disease resistance, is hardy, heat tolerant, deer-resistant, and makes a fantastic cut flower. What else could you ask for? Pair with coneflower, bee balm, or yarrow to create the ultimate pollinator garden!
Details
Common name: Perennial sunflower, false sunflower
Zone: 3 - 9
Sun exposure: Sun (> 6 hours sun) to part sun (4-6 hours sun)
Height x width: 36-40″ tall x 36-40″
Flower color: Red, orange, yellow
Foliage color: Green
Bloom time: Midsummer, late summer
Season of interest: Summer
Features: Native, container plants, cold tolerant, low maintenance, cut flower, pollinator-friendly, deer-resistant, rabbit-resistant
Uses: Border, cottage gardening, massing, naturalizing, specimen, cut flowers
How to Grow
Light: Does well in full sun. Tolerates some light shade, particularly in hot summer climates or when plants are being grown in dry soils.
Water: Dry to medium -- Water regularly until established
Spacing: 36 inches
Fertilizing: Spring application of a timed release, or organic fertilizer
Winterizing: No special care needed. May leave spent blooms on plants over winter for reseeding, and providing interest to birds in the winter garden. Clean up spent foliage in early spring as plants emerge.
Maintenance & pruning: Deadheading is not required for continuous bloom, but old flowers may be cut off if desired.
Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:
Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:
Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.