Plant · P-1069

Maximilian Sunflower

Helianthus maximiliani

Maximilian sunflower is a tall native perennial prairie wildflower grown for its stiff, grey-green, unbranched stems lined from midstem upward with short-stalked, bright yellow flower heads, blooming from late summer into fall. It spreads from a stout rhizomatous root system into dense colonies over time, and its wind- and animal-dispersed seed also carries it into open, disturbed ground. Livestock browse it as forage, upland game birds and songbirds eat the seed, and bees and butterflies visit the flowers for nectar and pollen.