Ashy Sunflower
Helianthus mollis
Ashy sunflower is a striking prairie sunflower clad in soft, silvery-gray clasping leaves, topped with bright yellow blooms in midsummer. Drought-tough and rhizomatous for dry meadows and naturalizing.
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Type
- wildflower
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 2–4 ft
- Spacing
- 1–3 ft apart
- Light
- sun
- Soil moisture
- dry, moist
- Soil pH
- neutral, acidic
- Bloom
- June, July, August, September
- Bloom colors
- yellow, brown
- Wildlife value
- butterflies, songbirds, larval host
- Caterpillar hosts
- ~58 butterfly & moth species
- Landscape uses
- naturalizing
- Native states
- AL, AR, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MI, MO, MS, OH, OK, PA, TN, TX, WI
Related native plants
More Helianthus species
- Maximilian Sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani)
- Beach Sunflower (Helianthus debilis)
- Swamp Sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius)
- Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus)
- Prairie Sunflower (Helianthus petiolaris)
- Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus)