Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Annual Biennial

Helianthus × kellermanii

A tall, perennial sunflower to a height of around 300cm with thin, rough, slightly twisted green leaves. Long stems of yellow flowers appear one after another in late September through to October. Can reach a width of 150cm so requires space and is therefore ideal for a meadow or prairie or the edge of a woodland area

Save to My plants

Buy this plant

Plant nurseries
5 suppliers

Ultimate height

2.5–4 metres

Time to ultimate height

1–2 years

Ultimate spread

1–1.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Asteraceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy, Clump forming
Genus: Helianthus can be tall, erect annuals, tuberous or rhizomatous perennials, with coarse simple leaves and large daisy-like flower-heads
Name status: Unresolved

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in moderately fertile, neutral to alkaline, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil in full sun

Propagation

Propagate by seed in spring or division in autumn. Divide every three years to maintain vigour. See propagate by seed (sown indoors) or

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Prairie planting
Wildflower meadow

Pruning

Cut back to the ground in autumn or leave for birds to eat the seeds

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs and snails

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews and sclerotinia diseases

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.