Woodland Sunflower
Helianthus divaricatus
A golden haze of yellow sunflowers for dappled shade and woodland edges, late summer into fall. Colonizes freely and feeds goldfinches.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
The shade-adapted sunflower -- bright yellow fall flowers for dappled woodland edges where most perennials can't deliver color.
Woodland sunflower is the species to reach for when you want sunflower-scale impact in dappled shade or at a woodland edge. The bright yellow flowers are smaller than swamp sunflower but numerous, carried on spreading branches in late summer and fall, creating a golden haze that lights up a shady border more effectively than almost anything else. The rough, opposite leaves are sessile (without petioles), stalklessly clasping the stem, a handy field identification marker. It spreads by rhizome and colonizes freely, making it an ideal choice for naturalized areas, woodland margins, and slopes where a ground-binding colony is desirable. The seeds are important to goldfinches and other small birds through fall. One of the most adaptable native sunflowers available.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown woodland sunflower propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
Plant woodland sunflower instead of Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) in naturalized areas. Same job in the garden, without the spread.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Dry
- Mature size
- 3–6 ft · 24–36 in wide
- Bloom time
- July–September
- USDA zones
- 3–9
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America from Quebec and Ontario south to Florida and west to Kansas and Nebraska
Care notes for woodland sunflower.
Full sun to part shade in dry to average soil. More shade-tolerant than any other Helianthus species. Spreads freely by rhizome. plant it where you want a colony, or contain with edging. Cut back hard in early spring. No supplemental water needed once established.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside woodland sunflower.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.