A sunflower with showy leaves, flowers, and smooth, red stems that can reach exceptional heights. Like other sunflowers, it supports a wide variety of insects and birds. Forms large, dense colonies in moist soil. Height may be reduced in dryer conditions.

Light: Full Sun, Part Sun/Shade

Soil Moisture: Wet Mesic, Mesic, Dry Mesic

Soil Type: Loam

Height: 3’-12’ 

Bloom Color: Yellow

Bloom Time: Aug-Oct

Root Type: Rhizome

Notable Wildlife Interactions: Flowers attract bees, flies, butterflies, moths, and beetles. Hosts butterflies including the silvery checkerspot and gorgone checkerspot, moths such as the sunflower borer, arge tiger and ruby tiger moths, grasshoppers, and some smaller insects. Seeds feed a wide variety of gamebirds, songbirds, and small mammals. Deer occasionally browse foliage, and groundhogs and rabbits commonly feed on young plants.