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Maximilian Sunflower

Helianthus maximiliani (hee-lee-AN-thus maks-ih-mill-ee-ANE-ee)

Family: Asteraceae Native Herbaceous (3-15 ft)

Maximilian sunflower is a tall, rhizomatous, perennial prairie wildflower native to portions of Canada, the United States, and Northeast Mexico, and found along roadsides, prairies, bluffs, and waste areas. It is thought that it originated in the midcontinental prairies and was subsequently spread along the highways and railroads of North America. It is a member of the daisy family (Asteraceae). The plant grows 2 to 10 feet tall and has tall, rigid, unbranched, hairy stems and long, narrow, light green to gray-green leaves. The flowers have bright yellow petal-rays and a central disk of dark yellow, tubular disk florets. The specific epithet, maximiliani, honors the Prince Maximilian of Germany, a naturalist who led an expedition exploring the Great Plains from 1832 to 1834. This plant is easy to grow and can tolerate a variety of conditions. Prefers full sun, medium-moist to dry, well-drained soils of clay, loam, or sand. It is drought-tolerant once established and is tolerant of deer, dry, clay, and rocky soil. It is easily grown from seed and can self-seed, forming large colonies. Taller plants may benefit from staking. The Maximilian sunflower attracts bees, butterflies, skippers, and beetles. It is also the larval host plant for the Silvery Checkerspot butterfly. The seeds serve as a food source for birds, squirrels, and gophers. Rabbits, groundhogs, and livestock graze the plant's leaves. Attractive plant for wildflower, native, or cottage gardens as well as in naturalized areas or meadows. Quick ID Hints: The stems are rough and have short hairs. Narrow, long leaves, up to 12 inches long. Grayish-green leaves with fine white hairs. The leaf margins are mostly toothless. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: It has no significant insect or disease problems. More information on Helianthus .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 64 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft) Optimal soil pH Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Verbena canadensis Viola pedata Viola striata

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Herbaceous Perennial; Wildflower
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low; Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Erect; Spreading
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Linear
Leaf margin
Dentate; Entire; Undulate
Leaf feel
Rough
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Leaves are grayish-green or light green, long and narrow, with smooth, wavy margins, and sometimes small teeth. The leaves are often folded lengthwise along the center vein. The tips of the leaves are pointed. The sessile leaves are up to 10 inches long and 2 inches wide. The upper surface of the leaf has fine white hairs. Both sides of the leaves have a coarse texture. Before this plant loses its leaves in the winter, the leaves may turn purple during fall.
Fall color
Purple/Lavender
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Radial
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
Flower heads grow on terminal stalks and from leaf axils. The flower head has 15-30 yellow petal-ray flowers, and the rays are deeply veined and slightly toothed at the tip. The center disk has dark yellow disk florets and measures 1 inch across. The diameter of the flowerhead is usually 2 to 4 inches. Each flowering stem has 4 or more flower heads. Blooming occurs from August to September.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit color
Black; Brown/Copper
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The fruit is a dry, one-seeded cypsela that usually has an attached pappus, which is made up of stiff bristles.
Stem color
Green; Purple/Lavender
Stem detail
The stems are green to purplish, tall, stiff, unbranched, and hairy. The flowers are borne at the end of the stems.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Canada to Northeast Mexico
Distribution
Native: United States--AL, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, NE, NJ, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WV, WI, and WY; Canada--Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan: Mexico Northeast. Introduced: Czechoslovakia and Germany
Wildlife value
Numerous species of birds eat the seeds, and it provides nectar to bees and butterflies. This is a larval host plant that supports Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis). The Silvery Checkerspot has at least 1-2 broods in the north from June-July in the deep south and Texas, they have as many as 3-4 broods from May through September.
Attracts
Butterflies; Pollinators; Small Mammals; Songbirds
Play value
Attracts Pollinators; Wildlife Food Source; Wildlife Larval Host
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Flowers
Harvest time
Fall

Edibility

This sunflower provides food for birds and livestock.

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Meadow; Naturalized Area
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Cottage Garden; Cutting Garden; Pollinator Garden
Design feature
Mass Planting
Garden tags
#native perennial #showy flowers #deer resistant #pollinator plant #clumping #moist soil #cutting garden #deciduous #spreading #cottage garden #sandy soils tolerant #clay soils tolerant #bird friendly #butterfly friendly #summer flowers #silvery checkerspot butterfly #larval host plant #full sun tolerant #bee friendly #wildlife friendly #HS303 #NC native #drought tolerant #dry soils tolerant #full sun #gray-green leaves #herbaceous perennial #meadow #naturalized area #prairies #rocky soils tolerant #wildflower #yellow flowers
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Weedy
Resistant to
Deer; Drought; Dry Soil; Erosion; Poor Soil
Propagation
Seed

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.

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