Sneezeweed

Helenium autumnale

North American prairie native perennial with daisy flowers in fiery orange, red, and yellow tones around a prominent round central cone. The signature late-summer prairie perennial.

Hardiness ratings

Sneezeweed hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 3–8 −40 °C to −6.7 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
RHS hardiness rating H7 down to −20 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 3–8 −34 °C to −1 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
Australian (ANBG) zone Zone 2–5 −10 °C to 10 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone

Growing notes

  • Plant in sunny moist borders and prairie plantings — peak bloom from late July through September, a key late-summer pollinator plant
  • Excellent forage for bees and migrating butterflies
  • Common name is misleading — dried leaves were historically used as a snuff to induce sneezing, not as an allergen
  • Cut back by a third in early summer for shorter, sturdier, more floriferous plants ("Chelsea chop")

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check Sneezeweed against your zones

Reference

Sneezeweed on Wikipedia