Hairy Sunflower, Stiff-haired sunflower, Helianthus hirsutus Raf., Native Minnesota Wildflower plant, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden, Woodland Sunflower

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	Stiff-haired Sunflower	Helianthus hirsutus Raf.	Aster (Composite)	Upland	Late Summer to Early Autumn
Other names and notes	(Hairy Sunflower, Woodland Sunflower). Mostly opposite leaves with rounded bases and very short stalks (under 1/4") that are rough above and hairy under. Flower heads are 1 3/4" to 3 1/2" wide with a yellow central disk and 10 to 15 yellow rays. the plant grows from2 to 6 feet high on stout stems. The flower heads are also on thick stalks and are not numerous atop the stem. Helianthus is Greek for "sunflower". Hirsutus means "hairy."


Flower blooms of late July, early August.

Notes: Eloise Butler had catalogued this plant in her plant index of Sept 6, 1907 as present in the Garden area. She listed it as H. divaricatus, but that species is not found in Minnesota so it is likely it was H. hirsutus. This plant was listed on Martha Crone's 1951 inventory of plants in the Garden at that time. Stiff-haired Sunflower is native to Minnesota, mostly in counties in the Eastern half of the State including most of the Metro area and excepting the Arrowhead region. This plant is very similar in appearance to H. strumosus, the Pale-leaved Sunflower but is more widely distributed in the State than H. strumosus. A third variety that is native to parts of the state is Helianthus occidentalis Riddell ssp. occidentalis.

Return to -- Site Plan/Archive --or-- List of Common Plant Names -- or -- List of Scientific Names -- or --Home Page

References: Plant characteristics are generally from sources 15, 16, 30, 31, 33, W2 & W3. Distribution principally from W2 and also 31, 34 and W1. Planting history generally from 1, 4 & 4a. Other sources by specific reference. See Reference List for details.

091009