This showy sunflower is a volunteer1 addition to the vegetation in our yard. We recently spotted it at the edge of the woods from our kitchen window. The image is from my phone’s camera.2
Helianthus divaricatus3
Helianthus divaricatus, commonly known as the rough sunflower, woodland sunflower, or rough woodland sunflower, is a North American species perennial herb in the composite family. It is native to central and eastern North America, from Ontario and Quebec in the north, south to Florida and Louisiana and west to Oklahoma and Iowa.
Helanthus divaricatus commonly occurs in dry, relatively open sites. The showy yellow flowers emerge in summer through early fall.
The woodland sunflower is similar to Helianthus hirsutus, but its stem is rough. It is up to 1.5 m tall with short stalked, lanceolate to oval leaves, 1–8 cm wide with toothed margins. Its flowers have 8 to 15 rays, each 1.5 to 3 cm (0.6-1.2 inches) long, surrounding an orange or yellowish brown central disk.
- Volunteer plants are those that come up in the garden with no effort on your part. They germinate from seeds dropped by flowers in previous years or seeds can arrive stuck to the fur and skin of small animals. Birds that visit your garden bring seeds contained in berries and fruit that they ate at their last stop.
- Carroll, J. (2021, March 5). What Is A Volunteer Plant: Learn About Volunteer Plants In Gardens. Retrieved July 27, 2021, from https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/propagation/propgen/volunteer-plants-in-gardens.htm
- iPhone 11 back dual wide camera; ƒ/1.8, 4.2 mm, 1/839, ISO 32
- Wikipedia, Helianthus divaricatus. (last revised 2021, March 21). Retrieved July 27, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helianthus_divaricatus
