FNPS Plant Database

Helianthus angustifolius

swamp sunflower; narrow-leaved sunflower
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Mark Hutchinson, Hernando Chapter, FNPS
  • Photo by: Eleanor Dietrich, Magnolia Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

swamp sunflower; narrow-leaved sunflower

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Helianthus angustifolius

Family:

Asteraceae (Compositae)

Plant Specifics

Form:

flower

Size:

5-8 ft

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

yellow

Fruit Color:

NA

Phenology:

Winter dormant. Blooms in fall.

Noted For:

Showy Flowers

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Plant as a buffer along the edge of wetlands, in a swale, or any other open wet site. Forms clones of plants up to 6 ft wide.

Considerations:

Availability:

Native Nurseries, FNPS Plant Sales, Seed

Propagation:

Seed or division of a cluster. Seeds are available through the Florida Wildflowers Growers Cooperative.

Light:

Full Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Stays wet -to- Usually moist, occasional inundation

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Loam

Soil pH:

Acidic

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.



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Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Birds, Mammals

Primarily pollinated by bees.  The goldenrod soldier beetle (a.k.a. leatherwing beetle(,  Chauliognathus pensylvanicus is a goldenrod pollinator ( FL Wildflower Foundation ).

Birds and small mammals eat the seeds.

Native Habitats:

Flatwoods, marsh edges, cutthroat seep.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

Citations:

https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/5299/SCtZ-0310-Hi_res.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y



Florida Wildflower Foundation.



Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell.  1999.  Native Florida Plants.  Gulf Publishing Company.  Houston, TX.



Huegel, Craig, N.  2012.  Native wildflowers and other ground covers for Florida landscapes. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.



Nelson, Gil.  2003.  Florida's Best Landscape Plants. Association of Florida Native Nurseries.



Tras, Pamela.  2001.  Gardening for Florida's butterflies.  Great Outdoors Publishing, St. Petersburg, FL.



Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ).  Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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