Muck sunflower is a North American native perennial in the aster (Asteraceae) family. It is native from Texas to SC and can be found in wet, mucky soils in marshes, ditches, and roadsides. This plant grows 3 to 8 feet tall and spreads by rhizomes. The flowers appear in late summer to fall and have many yellow rays with dark red disc center flowers. The narrow leaves are long and hairy and the stem has short stiff hairs. This plant can be variable in appearance depending on what region it grows in. It will also hybridize with H. angustifolious. It spreads by rhizomes and can be propagated by division or seed. This plant is appropriate for native gardens and naturalizing in moist to wet soils. It can be grown in wet soils along streams and ponds and water gardens. It is adaptable to soil types and does best in full sun to part shade. Pruning the stems by 1/3 in early summer will encourage a bushier plant. The plant will form swathes of lovely yellow flowers that bees love. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Generally no problems but sunflowers in general can develop fungal diseases such as powdery mildew and leaf blights. Insects are Asiatic garden beetle and sunflower maggot.
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.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasionally Wet
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Multi-stemmed
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate; Opposite; Rosulate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Green hairy narrow lanceolate leaves are 3.5 to 8 inches long and up to 1.5 inches wide. They are both basal and grow up the stem either opposite or alternate.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Red/Burgundy
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Radial
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
The flower heads can be numerous with each flower having 12-20 yellow ray petals surrounding 100 plus yellow or reddish disc florets with brown or black anthers. Flowers late summer into late fall
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The fruit is technically a cypsela but is often called an achene and is dry and non-dehiscent.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Erect branched hairy green stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, Texas
Distribution
Has spread to PA, IN, MO, and NC
Wildlife value
Flowers attract bees
Attracts
Bees; Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Winter
Fruit type
Achene
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Naturalized Area; Pond; Riparian
Landscape theme
Cutting Garden; English Garden; Pollinator Garden; Rain Garden; Water Garden
Design feature
Mass Planting
Garden tags
#stream banks #perennial #wet soils tolerant #yellow flowers #bee friendly #water garden #border back #long bloom time #collier preserve tn #wildflower #fall color #pond