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Asteraceae
Perennial Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
Enduring loyalty and prairie resilience.
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Genus
- Helianthus
- Native to
- central North America, Great Plains
- Bloom season
- Late Summer, Autumn
- Type
- herbaceous perennial
- Height
- 100–300 cm
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- well-drained, tolerates poor soil
- Water
- low to moderate
- Hardiness
- 3–9
- Lifespan
- long-lived perennial
Did you know
- Named after Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied, a German explorer who documented it during his 1832 Missouri River expedition.
- It blooms in autumn when most sunflowers have finished, providing critical late-season food for migrating birds.
- A single plant can produce dozens of flower heads along its tall, arching stems.
- Its deep root system makes it extremely drought-tolerant and useful for soil stabilization on prairies.
- Native Americans cultivated related perennial sunflowers for their edible tubers, similar to Jerusalem artichokes.
Color meanings
Yellow
unwavering devotion and prairie spirit