Stiff Sunflower (Helianthus pauciflorus)

Stiff Sunflower (Helianthus pauciflorus)

Stiff sunflower is a native perennial found in Wisconsin. Its late-summer blooms offer a rich nectar source for native bees, butterflies, and beetles, while its seeds provide food for birds and small mammals. As a rhizomatous perennial, it helps stabilize soil and form dense colonies that suppress invasive species, making it a valuable ally in prairie restoration. Its rough foliage and sturdy stems also offer shelter and nesting material for insects.

It can grow up to six feet tall. Most of the ones I've seen, though, are two to four feet tall. The flowers are yellow and measure 2 to 3-1/2 inches across. They have 10 to 25 petals (ray flowers) surrounding a usually purplish-brown center disk. The bracts are short, wide, and flattened, usually with a dull point at the tip and short hairs around the edges. The stems are bristly and turn reddish-brown with age. They are mostly naked and branching. The leaves are two to 10 inches long and 3/4 to 2-1/4 inches wide. They are typically shaped like the tip of a spear, with a very rough texture. The leaves are short-stalked to stalkless and have shallow, widely spaced teeth along the edges. Stiff sunflowers are  are commonly found in dry or drying prairies, roadsides, and open woods. They prefer full sun and well-drained soils. (SF)