Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus)
Woodland Sunflower reaches heights between two and six feet. Its golden blooms, each a radiant flare of yellow petals encircling a subtly deeper yellow disk, appear in loose clusters. Leaves emerge in opposite pairs, either directly attached or on short stalks, shaped like lances with finely toothed edges and sharply tapered tips. Their matte green surfaces grow up to six inches long. The stem of the woodland sunflower is rough or slightly hairy and typically green to reddish-green, sometimes with purplish tones near the base. It thrives in part shade, adapting with ease to both moist and dry soils, and finds purchase along roadsides, rocky bluffs, forest edges, and savannas. Its tolerance for varied conditions makes it a valuable addition to native plantings, especially where light shifts and soil moisture fluctuate.
Additionally, woodland sunflowers support a diverse array of pollinators—bees, butterflies, and beetles drawn to its late-summer nectar—while its seeds later feed birds and small mammals. In Wisconsin, the woodland sunflower hosts the caterpillars of several native species, including the Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis), Gorgone Checkerspot (Chlosyne gorgone), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Sunflower Moth (Homoeosoma electellum), Banded Sunflower Moth (Cochylis hospes), and Sunflower Borer Moth (Papaipema necopina).
(SF)