False Sunflower Plant Care and Growing Tips

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How to Grow a False Sunflower Plant

Pw Heliopsis Bit Of Honey Apj21 3 — ‘Bit of Honey’ false sunflower

Scientific name: Heliopsis helianthoides
Common name: false sunflower or smooth oxeye
Zones: 4 to 9
Attracts: bees, butterflies
Light needs: Part or full sun
Size: 24 to 28 inches tall

Heat-tolerant false sunflower plants thrive in well-draining, loamy to moist soil when grown in garden beds. Deadhead spent blooms to stimulate new buds and extend the floral display.

Grow Mexican sunflower in pollinator gardens.

False Sunflower Plant Benefits

smooth oxeye false sunflower fritillary butterfly — Great spangled fritillary

If you love the look of tall, towering sunflowers but don’t have the garden space, these are the plants for you. Blooms appear in midsummer through early fall, providing showstopping color that is worth the wait. The stunning yellow flowers are a focal point in the garden and pollinators love them. Blooms can also be used as cut flowers for arrangements.

Note that these plants are perennials, so they will come back and fill your yard with color every year.

Cultivars to Try

Plant “Bit of Honey” in patio pots, where it’ll need regular moisture and fertilizer. With 3-inch-wide golden yellow semidouble blossoms featuring multiple rows of bright petals, this cultivar of native false sunflowers takes center stage in the garden.

Tuscan Gold is a better choice for hot sunny spots with dry soils.

Check out the top 10 sunny sunflower varieties to grow.

Foliage

Bit of Honey plants have light-colored leaves with dark green veins. Tuscan Gold’s leaves are a uniform dark green.

Next, learn how you can attract backyard birds by growing sunflowers.

Sources

Originally Published: August 12, 2024

Author

Lori Vanover

Lori Vanover is the senior digital editor for Birds & Blooms. She has a bachelor of science degree in agricultural and environmental communications from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Lori is certified as a Wisconsin Extension Master Gardener and is also a member of the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology. In her spare time she enjo...

Reviewer

Melinda Myers

Melinda Myers is a nationally known, award-winning garden expert, speaker, TV/radio host and author of more than 20 books. She is the instructor for The Great Courses How to Grow Anything DVD and Instant Video series and host of the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moments TV and Radio segments. With a master’s degree in horticulture and ...

Fact Checker

Kirsten Schrader

Now Birds & Blooms' content director, Kirsten has been writing about birding and gardening for 17 years. Her writing and editing roles have spanned the print and digital landscape. Although she has traveled to see amazing birds throughout the U.S., Kirsten has one dream bucket list bird—the male painted bunting.