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A North Carolina Garden Blog

Swamp Sunflower: The Bold and the Beautiful

10/9/2012

14 Comments

 
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What should I say when somebody tells me my dog is cute?  "Thank you" is probably the right response, but why?  I had absolutely nothing to do with my dog's cuteness. 

I feel the same way about swamp sunflower, which right now is getting all the attention in my garden.   It is, bar none, the most spectacular plant in town right now.  But I take no credit for it whatsoever.

For those of us in the Southeast, swamp sunflower (zones 6-9) may just be the perfect plant.   It's beautiful, it's low maintenance, and it's pretty much disease-free.  Plant it in full sun, give it decent soil, and make sure it gets some water during dry spells, and you'll look like a pro.  Put it in a soggy spot, and you'll look like a genius. 
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There are several perennial sunflowers out there, all going by the Latin name Helianthus something-or-other  and differing mainly in height, bloom time, and soil preference.  The plant that is currently signaling ships in my garden is a late-blooming variety native to the Southeast.  Since my original clump was a freebie from my neighbor's garden, it took a bit of detective work to figure out exactly what variety it was.  Finally, I determined that it is identical to the one Niche Gardens sells as Helianthus simulans - useful information if you actually plan to purchase it, rather than ogle it in your neighbor's yard and hope he'll get the hint.  

Perhaps swamp sunflower would be less eye-catching if it flowered in the summer, when there is a lot more competition in the bloom department.  But here in Cary, it starts flowering in early October and continues through a good portion of the month.  Yes, chrysanthemums and asters are everywhere, and plenty of summer-blooming plants are getting their last words in.  But nothing else is screaming yellow and seven feet tall. 
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Clearly, this is not a plant for the shy and retiring.  And if seven feet seems gargantuan, consider this: I generally cut mine back by 1/3 in late June to keep the height under control.  Yes, seven feet tall is "under control" - they can reach ten feet if you  do nothing.  Like chrysanthemums and asters, swamp sunflowers should be cut back by July 4th (a date gardeners use because it's easy to remember); any later, and they won't have time to form buds and bloom before the first frost.  

If this plant has any drawback, it is that those seven-foot stalks never stay up in the wind or the rain.  Generally I like the sprawling, natural look, but even I find swamp sunflower quite disheartening in a horizontal state - after all, its dramatic height is the whole point.  I've learned my lesson and now I stake it, using a galloping horse version of the cat's cradle that involves five foot tall tomato stakes and green garden twine.   It's not pretty, but it works, and it's virtually invisible when the flowering begins.

And what flowering it is.  Amazingly, swamp sunflower looks great with almost everything in bloom right now - Mexican bush sage, asters, ornamental grasses, you name it.  You can plunk it practically anywhere and voilà - a great plant combo is born.  For Southeastern gardeners, it just doesn't get much better than this.
14 Comments
Joan link
10/9/2012 03:53:48 pm

Haha, signaling ships!

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Anne Himmelfarb
10/10/2012 01:44:16 am

Some of my neighbors have this flower and I've always wondered what it is. Now I know! It is spectacular.

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Indie link
10/13/2012 01:28:13 am

They are beautiful! We have a bunch near the greenway here that are spectacular in the fall. I recently went to a garden that had a clump of swamp sunflowers right next to an arbor - they were as tall as the arbor, and definitely stood out with that screaming yellow color!

It's great to see another garden blogger from the area! Are you on Blotanical at all? It's a community website for garden bloggers (albeit one that is in desperate need for a website update).

Reply
Galloping Horse Gardener link
10/13/2012 02:37:13 am

Hi Indie. Thanks for the compliment. I'm enjoying your blog, too! Note to other readers: Indie's blog is at www.redhousegarden.com. Check it out!
I didn't know about Blotanical but I will definitely look into it. Thanks for the tip.

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Casa Mariposa link
10/14/2012 12:21:58 pm

Your helianthus are awesome! I love how tall they are. :) I love your method of staking them. I may try that on a few plants next summer.

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Galloping Horse Gardener link
10/15/2012 01:08:36 am

You can also try the cat's cradle staking method on smaller floppers like peonies. Your blog is terrific! It sounds as if the issues you deal with in the Washington DC area are similar to the ones I face in Cary, NC. Except my dog isn't interested in the garden - he likes air conditioning too much.

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Marcia link
10/15/2012 03:12:07 am

I love your writing - and the "galloping horse" concept of gardening. My grandmother used to say, "It won't matter 100 years from now." With your "galloping horse" and my grandmother's "100 years", we could all chill a bit and enjoy our lives more!

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Galloping Horse Gardener link
10/15/2012 04:07:01 am

It's so true! I admire your energy and talent in tackling your "3 Acre Farm" in cold, cold Maine (http://a3acrefarm.com). Your produce is gorgeous! How do you do that? I am in awe.

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Pamela
10/7/2013 08:24:12 pm

I have swamp sunflowers and I have been giving them to people because they multiply so quickly and they all love them they are so gorgeous. I have found that I have to Divide them quite often because they multiply so quickly I have them all over my yard.

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Galloping Horse Garden link
10/8/2013 01:50:31 am

Thanks for the visit, Pamela. Glad you love the swamp sunflowers as much as I do. Mine also multiply like mad - I have three big stands now, all from one itty bitty plant years ago. Plus I've given it away to neighbors. So it's beautiful AND economical!

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Sandra Thibodeaux
4/2/2014 06:36:03 am

I am trying to find the swamp flowers but there isn't any to be found

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Galloping Horse Garden link
4/2/2014 10:18:01 am

You may have to resort to mail order. I know that Niche Gardens sells Helianthus simulans, which I believe is the species I have. The web address is www.Nichegardens.com. Good luck!

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Maria
10/28/2018 12:47:09 pm

do you sell plants of swamp sunflower?

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Sarah/Galloping Horse Garden link
10/28/2018 01:21:59 pm

Hi Maria. I'm just a regular amateur gardener, so no, I don't sell plants. You could try Niche Gardens in North Carolina - they are mail order and they usually carry the plant. Good luck.

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    The Galloping Horse Gardener is a native New Yorker who packed it in in 2005 to live under the radar in Cary, North Carolina. In 2014, she removed to a new secure location somewhere in Raleigh.

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