Helenium 'Sahin's Early Flowerer'

Helenium 'Sahin’s Early Flowerer'

The multiple petals of this Helenium are in shades of bright orange and yellow with a chocolate brown central boss; more than earn its place in the hot borders of the Square Garden at Rosemoor.

Vital statistics

Common name

Helen’s flower, sneezeweed

Family

Asteraceae

Height & spread

1.3m (51in) high and 40cm (16in) wide

Form

Herbaceous perennial

Soil

Fertile, moist soil

Aspect

Full sun

Hardiness

Fully hardy

Helenium

A genus of about 40 species of annuals, biennials and perennials found in damp, swampy meadows or at woodland margins in North and Central America. They are mostly clump-forming plants with erect, branching stems and ovate to inversely lance-shaped, mid-green leaves.

The daisy-like flowerheads have prominent yellow or brown disc-florets and ray-florets in yellow, bronze, orange or red. Heleniums flower over a long period and are suitable for a sunny, mixed, or herbaceous border.

The flowerheads are used for cutting and are attractive to bees. All parts may cause severe discomfort if ingested; contact with the foliage may aggravate skin allergies. 

Helenium 'Sahin’s Early Flowerer'

Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’ is a tall clump-forming perennial hybrid, popular for its very long flowering period – June to October, if regularly dead-headed and cut back in late summer.

The flowerheads have vibrant, orange ray-florets and yellowish-brown centres which really stand out in borders in the autumn.

It is probably a hybrid of cultivars bred from Helenium autumnale and Helenium bigelovii which spontaneously occurred at the Sahin trial grounds in Holland and has been on sale since 1997. 

Cultivation

• Requires a bright sunny position; looks especially radiant in afternoon sun.
• Plant out in spring.
• Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’ is largely self-supporting though may benefit from additional support. It is more tolerant of dry weather than many members of its genus but water if any signs of wilting.
• Deadhead to prolong flowering. After flowering ends, cut back stems.
• Pests – young foliage is prone to attack from slugs and snails.
• Disease – viruses cause stunting and distortion of leaves and flowers. Destroy any affected plants immediately. 

Propagation

• Sow seeds in a cold frame in early spring.
• Divide clumps in spring taking outer shoots.
• This cultivar will not come true from seed.

AGM

The RHS Herbaceous Plant Committee awarded Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’ an Award of Garden Merit with the description:

'Long flowering period. Full of good sized, rich bright yellow and orange coloured flowers with dark chocolate coloured centres. Foliage quite good. Large three-lobed ray florets strongly reflexed.'